


One Year Later

by dietcokeenthusiast



Series: Life of Asgore [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alphys/Undyne - Freeform, Dating, Developing Relationship, Established friendships, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Past Character Death, Past Relationship(s), Post-Canon, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-30
Packaged: 2018-04-26 12:41:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5005165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dietcokeenthusiast/pseuds/dietcokeenthusiast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a year since the barrier had been broken, and monsters live amongst the humans. Asgore is no longer the king, and with the help of his friends, tries to move on from his past in the underground and figure out just how this whole dating thing works again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Thursdays

_Hmmm… still needs some more work._ Asgore thoughtfully examined the hedges outside of the school. Nearly a month of work with the help of the gardening students, and they just looked like a vague set of silhouettes. There’d be nothing stopping him from finishing it over the summer, but he wanted to get it done while the kids were still here. _It does not look like it will happen today, though_. Especially not with his mind on other things.  
  
“I am still not sure what the hel- heck! What the heck it is supposed to be.” Asgore glanced over his shoulder to find Toriel studying his handiwork.

“A surprise, Torie!” Asgore replied with a sudden grin. “The details are the most difficult part. That’s what takes the longest. Is Frisk with you?”  
  
“They are out with friends. Sans and Papyrus wanted to take them to Grillby’s.”

He nodded in response. “How did your classes go today, Torie?”  
  
She smiled at Asgore. _To think that would be been unthinkable six months ago._ “They went very well. It is hard to believe that these were the same human children who made crude drawings of me eating cans at the beginning of the year. It appears they have taken quite a liking to me!”

“You must be an excellent teacher.” He considered waxing poetic on how it would be impossible for the children not to love her, but their restored friendship was still fragile, and he knew to respect her boundaries.  
  
“It does help there is another ‘goat-thingy’ to get them used to things. They love your gardening class, too. I am glad they did not only keep you as a groundskeeper.” She paused for a moment before continuing. “Now that they are used to us they are not quite so baa-d.” Asgore groaned as Toriel chuckled heartily to herself. “I hope that they do not do anything to get your goat.”

“I’m glad to see that the children haven’t dampened your sense of humor.”

“I cannot take full credit. Sans taught me the one about ‘getting your goat.’” Asgore nodded, hoping she didn’t pick up on the twinge of jealousy in his eye. “I do need to be getting home, though. I will see you tomorrow.”  
  
“Of course. Have a good night, Torie!”  
  
“You too, Asgore!” Asgore felt a bit guilty at his sense of relief when Toriel left. He had hoped they could at least be friends, true, but on lonelier days like this one, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sad at their conversations. Sighing heavily, he headed to the shed to put his tools away. He definitely wasn’t going to get any more work done today.

\---

Asgore greeted the bus driver warmly before paying the fare and taking the nearest empty seat. While most monsters drove nowadays, Asgore liked the bus. It was a great chance to meet new people, and he was too big to fit into most cars he found anyways. It was awkward at first, and even now there were still some unfriendly humans, but as months passed, the stares and whispers about that “weird goat guy” turned into returned greetings and even friendly conversations with other regulars on his route.

As he took his seat, he scanned the bus for his favorite passenger; an older human woman who he would trade stories about their children with. Unfortunately, she wasn’t there today. While he wasn’t about to ramble on and on about how lonely he had been feeling lately to her, he could have really used the distraction today. For now, examining the cityscape would have to suffice.

Gazing out the window, Asgore was impressed at how much monster and human societies were becoming integrated. Where once they had kept to a neighborhood on the outskirts called Monstertown (which he was regrettably in charge of naming), the distinct design and bright colors of monster-run restaurants and shops added flourishes to blocks of human businesses. A Grillby’s was there, with its sign half the size of the restaurant. There was a hotel shaped like Mettaton’s face, lit up in neon. There was also a bakery that was painted the loveliest shade of purple, the awnings trimmed with lace in a web-like pattern. Maybe Frisk would like to go there some day?

Before long he had arrived at his stop. Asgore didn’t often make the trip downtown, but today was Thursday, and Thursday meant anime night with Alphys and Undyne. Trying to stay enthusiastic despite his melancholy, he made his way into their apartment building. Taking the elevator up to their floor, he heard voices behind the door as he knocked. He had barely finished when Undyne threw open the door.

“Howdy Undyne! Lovely day we’re having!”

“Asgore! C’mere you big fluffy loser!” Undyne grinned widely as she yanked Asgore into a big hug. Which eventually turned into a headlock and noogie. Goodness, for someone so much smaller than he was, Undyne could _really_ squeeze hard when she wanted to! “We sorta forgot to clean up. Just move some of the noodle containers off the couch and you’ll be fine.” He looked over at the couch to find it almost completely buried under cups of instant noodles and manga, save for one spot that the couple probably sat on.  
  
“Hi Asgore! Y-yeah, we’re…. sorry about that.” Alphys chimed in sheepishly.  
  
“Hiya Alphys! It’s perfectly okay. I’m just happy to see my friends.” Asgore smiled. Truthfully, he was just impressed that they hadn’t burned their apartment down since they moved in.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re all besties! Now you want some tea, or did you turn into a big loser geek and want soda?”  
  
“But I like soda…” Alphys mumbled.

“Yeah, and you’re a big loser geek!” Undyne smirked as she planted a kiss on Alphys’ forehead. “You just happen to be my big loser geek.” Asgore suppressed a chuckle as Alphys turned a bright shade of red. “Here, sit!” Undyne barked as she flipped the couch over before setting it back down again, scattering the garbage and books across the room.  
  
“Thank you! And tea will be fine.” Asgore replied as he sank into the couch.

“Of course it’ll be fine!” Undyne said as she slammed the kettle onto the stove emphatically. “A tea shop opened up about a block away. I had no idea the surface had that many kinds of tea! Next time Frisk visits you, you’re both coming to look at it with me.” Asgore just nodded. He knew enough to go along with Undyne’s “requests”, and a day with the four of them sounded wonderful!

“So what are we watching tonight, Alphys?” Asgore asked. It didn’t particularly matter, as he had a hard time following most anime, but it was an excuse to visit, and still fun to watch.

“Um… well… um…” Alphys murmured as she dug around the basket beside the couch, before pulling one out. “Sailor Moon, it looks like!”  
  
“YES! I love it!” Undyne shouted from the kitchen.

“That sounds like fun, Alphys.”

“G-great! I’ll get it started right away.” Alphys loaded up the DVD, as Undyne came by with two teacups and a soda. It was Undyne’s usual tea; black and steeped almost to the point of being undrinkably bitter. Still, he had acquired a taste for it over the years, and drank in the strong flavor.

He was distracted as the show played, gazing back and forth between his tea and the couple seated next to him. While Undyne’s eyes were fixed completely on the screen, she would absentmindedly trace circles on Alphys’ shoulder and occasionally lean in to kiss her on the cheek.

He cared deeply for both of them, and was truly happy to see the both of them so in love, watching them made him nostalgic for the days when he and Toriel would earn groans with their public displays. On a day like this, where he was already missing being able to share the kind of affection with another monster…  
  
He sighed. “Is everything okay Asgore?” Alphys asked cautiously. Asgore suddenly perked his head up to find both Alphys and Undyne giving him concerned looks. “Y-you’ve been staring at your tea for um, five minutes now.” He blushed slightly. _Had it really been that long?_ “It kind of looks like something’s bothering you.”

Asgore smiled slightly. “I cannot hide that from you, can I? Today has been a long day.”  
  
“So spit it out then. What’s bugging you?” Undyne inquired.

“I have just been feeling lonely, that is all. Not in the friend sense, I am fortunate to have many good friends! Just in other ways.”

“What other ways?” Alphys pressed. “It’s not still… Toriel, is it?”  
  
“NGAAHH!” Undyne growled, throwing her teacup back into the kitchen. “You know I’ll always be there for you and other lame sappy crap like that, but not this again!” She shouted as she leapt onto the coffee table, Alphys managing to get off her lap just in the nick of time. “She is not! Getting! Back! Together! With! YOU!” At this point Undyne was gesturing dramatically and throwing things for emphasis. “Also, between you and me? Toriel seems kinda nice and everything, but you can do better. So stop being sad about her!”  
  
Asgore held up his hands in desperation. “No! It’s not Toriel! We’re just friends now, and I’m mostly okay with that.”  
  
“Mostly?!” Undyne glared at him before throwing a figurine of a fox girl through the window. She was a good friend, but her intensity could be a bit unnerving at times.  
  
“Fully okay! Please, no more throwing things!” Asgore pleaded. Fortunately, that seemed to calm his fishy friend, who stepped down off the table. “It’s not Toriel specifically. It’s just that, well, she spends a great deal of time nowadays with that strange skeleton fellow. Sans, I think his name is? You and Alphys have each other. Papyrus always has such rousing stories from his dates with humans. I feel as though I would like to… find someone.”  
  
Realization dawned on Undyne’s face. “Oh! Well, you’re King Freakin’-“  
  
“F-former.” Alphys corrected.  
  
“He’s still king to me!” Undyne continued. “Anyways, you’re King Freakin’ Asgore! You’re the one who was so tough you kicked my butt, and taught ME to fight! You’re the one helped destroy the barrier! You’re a damn hero! Anyone who wouldn’t want to date you is stupid! Unless they’re already dating someone! Like a cute lizard!”

“Well, it was Frisk who destroyed the bar-” Asgore began before being interrupted.  
  
“Yeah, but they wouldn’t have had the other souls if not for you! It’s not like the me or the others just forgot that.”  
  
“STILL. Other monsters respect King Asgore, the ruler who pledged to lead them against humanity, and gave them hope. That does not mean they know who I am now, though. I am not that king anymore, if I ever was. Now, I am just a lonely man who likes gardening, tea, and human television programs.”  
  
“You mean anime, r-right?” Alphys chimed in.  
  
“Of course, Alphys.” Asgore sighed. “More than that, it has been so long since I had first courted Toriel. So much has changed, and life is so different now that we are on the surface. I do not know that I would be any good on these ‘dates’.”  
  
“Well for one thing,” Alphys said as she tried to put an arm around Asgore, only succeeding in draping it on his shoulder, “Both Undyne and I happen to think you’re one of the noblest, nicest friends a monster could ever have. That’s important!”  
  
“That’s right!” Undyne grinned. “You’re kind of a wuss, but I’ve never met a wuss with a bigger heart! Fuhuhuhuhuhu!”  
  
“And d-don’t worry about whether or not you’ll be any good at dating!” Alphys continued, now with a bit more confidence. “I could b-barely even talk to other people for a long time unless it was on Undernet, and now I have the best girlfriend ever!”  
  
Undyne planted a smooch on Alphys’ cheek. “I guess that means we just have to find you second best, Asgore. That’s still pretty great though!”  
  
Asgore smiled, and hugged them both. “You are very kind to say so. I am glad to have you as friends.”  
  
After a moment, Alphys perked her head up suddenly. “Hey, Undyne? Papyrus likes to go on dates, right? Maybe he’d like to go on a date with Asgore, just to get him used to it again?” Asgore’s face scrunched up somewhat. Papyrus was a fine fellow, but he wasn’t so sure about dating him.  
  
“You want to set Asgore up with Papyrus?! That’s one of the most amazing ideas I’ve ever heard! Fuhuhuhuhuhu!” Undyne cackled as she pulled out her phone. “I’ll text him now!”  
  
“Well, wait just a minute,” Asgore protested. “Maybe we can talk about it a little bit more before we do anything too hasty?”

“Relax, dork. It’s just for fun and for practice!” Undyne replied. “It’s a single date, you’re not marrying him. Unless it goes really well…” She snickered as she texted away.  
  
“Actually, that does not sound like a bad idea.” Asgore said with a somewhat uncertain smile. “Papyrus is a friend, and I can make use of the experience. Yes, I will go on a date with Papyrus!” Asgore declared, becoming more convinced of the idea as he continued.  
  
“That’s the spirit!” Undyne shouted with a slap on Asgore’s back that nearly knocked him off the couch. “You’re set for tomorrow at 6:00, plenty of time to get ready after you’re done at work.”

Asgore couldn’t help but feel somewhat pleased with himself. Getting over Toriel wasn’t easy, and while he couldn’t tell Undyne this for the safety of both him and those around him, there was still that little part of him that had hoped the reunion he had always played over in his head would still happen. He had taken a big step forward tonight, though, and that had to count for something.  
  
“Y-you know, I think we missed all of this episode.” Alphys said sheepishly.  
  
“Ngaahhh! Well start it over. I’ll make more tea, and Asgore here’s not going anywhere, are you?”  
  
Asgore shook his head and smiled. “I would like to stay for longer.”

\---

Asgore carefully watered the flowers on his balcony. The other day he had accidentally poured water on his downstairs neighbor, and he didn’t want to have another accident like that happen again. He smiled softly as he checked some of the more recent plantings; it wouldn’t be too much longer before they bloomed. Moving to another planter, he took in the scent of the flowers, letting the fragrance and a sense of contentment wash over him. The kind of contentment he only otherwise had when having tea with good friends.

It wasn’t as much space as he had in the gardens at Home; his balcony was roomy, but not that roomy. Still, there was space for golden flowers, and ever since that fateful day, Asgore resolved that he would _never_ have a home without them.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a siren, and screeching tires. Looking down to see the source of the commotion, he saw a police car with the roof removed parked across three spots, a tall skeleton admiring himself in the rear view mirror. _Was it six o’clock already?_

Rushing inside he examined himself quickly in the mirror. He brushed his shaggy hair back, and quickly ran a comb through his beard. It may have only been a practice date with a friend, but he still wanted to be presentable, after all! Sooner than he expected, he heard a knock at the door, and hurried to let Papyrus in.

“Howdy, Papyrus!” He bellowed, greeting the skeleton warmly. “It is nice to have you visit.”

“The pleasure is mine! Undyne told me everything, and how could I possibly say no to a request for help? Literally, I don’t know to say no to Undyne.” Papyrus grinned somewhat uneasily. “But look! Everyone loves a man in uniform, and I have used mine to spice up my already ridiculously cool battle body!” It took a moment for Asgore to realize he had pinned his badge to his armor and was using his police uniform as a cape.

“Well, it certainly makes you look very… handsome?”

“Why king! I’m so glad you noticed!” Papyrus’ eyesockets sparkled as he clapped his hands to his cheeks. “So, I bet you’re wondering where I, the great Papyrus, will take you on our practice date?” He made an expression as though he was raising an eyebrow, if he actually had one.  
  
“I am indeed. What did you have planned?” Asgore inquired.  
  
“Nowhere! Nyeh heh heh heh!”  
  
Asgore looked confused.  
  
“I looked for the nicest restaurant for us to go to, but then I realized: one of my best qualities is my passion for cooking! So I decided I would bring everything I need to make you the finest spaghetti you have ever tasted right to the comfort of your own home!” Seemingly out of nowhere, Papyrus pulled a bag full of ingredients for pasta and thrust it into Asgore’s face. “Only the freshest ingredients for a date with royalty!”  
  
Asgore smiled. He knew Undyne talked about giving Papyrus cooking lessons, and any student of such a capable woman had to be able to make something delicious. “That sounds great! Is there anything that I can do to help?”  
  
“The answer to that is more nothing! You’re going to get the full real date experience tonight, and that means you just sit back and let me handle dinner. I even figured out how much more pasta I need for your size!” Papyrus declared as he strutted into the kitchen.  
  
“Please don’t feel obligated to make more on my behalf.” Asgore insisted. “I may be big, but I do not eat that much more than any other monster."  
  
“Nyeh! I refuse to let you go hungry. I, the great Papyrus, never leave a date with an empty heart, or stomach! Thankfully, you won’t be bored since I will be telling you all my extremely cool stories from the surface royal guard! The chief didn’t agree, but you should have seen the puzzle I gave to these humans painting the side of a building…”

\---

“Oh wowie! You love my spaghetti so much you needed to taste it again! I knew I was a good cook, but-”

“Please, Papyrus…” Asgore groaned as he got up off the bathroom floor. “I don’t think I can talk much right now.” Asgore had _never_ tasted anything quite like Papyrus’ spaghetti before. It might have even been edible, if he hadn’t insisted on Asgore eating three entire pots. And if he had bothered to take the spaghetti out of the package before cooking it. And if he hadn’t been so insistent on making some “bold, experiemental choices” when it came to the sauce.

“You mean it’s so good you need me to let you enjoy it quietly? I don’t think anyone’s liked me as much as you do…” Papyrus sighed happily. “That said, Asgore, can I be completely honest with you?”  
  
“Go ahead…” Asgore grunted as he doubled over on the floor.  
  
“I’m worried that for a practice date, I may be getting you to like me too much. How will you ever find someone if all you can think about is how cool I am? And how delicious my cooking is?” Papyrus continued before Asgore had a chance to respond. “No, I know what you’re thinking, and while we truly had a wonderful time, I’m not ready to settle down! The great Papyrus has too much love to give still to leave it with just one man!”

“That is fine, truly.” Asgore groaned. “I feel I have learned a great deal about how to date from you. It would make me happy to keep being friends with you.”

“Oh poor king, pretending to be okay so I don’t feel bad about dumping you,” Papyrus held a hand to his chest. “You’ve warmed my heart! Which is really special, since I don’t have one!” With that, he threw his arms open for a hug. Asgore picked himself off the ground, and hugged him weakly. “I will always remember this night. I’ll also make sure to tell everyone about it, so that they can remind me if I forget!”

“Please, that’s not necessary Papyrus,” Asgore pleaded.

“There’s that royal modesty again,” Papyrus went on as he headed for the door. “Another date satisfied by me! Nyeh heh heh heh!” With that he slammed the door shut, and Asgore was left to himself. He grumbled as he made his way to the kitchen, which was now a perfect mess. _It’ll have to get cleaned up tomorrow. All I can think about is how much my stomach hurts…_

Fixing himself a club soda and hoping he could keep that down at least, Asgore decided an early bedtime is just what he and his stomach needed. That and a long break from any more spaghetti.


	2. Tea and Croissants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a painful night and an even more painful morning, Asgore has Frisk for the weekend. He also becomes acquainted with a local bakery owner.

Asgore still felt awful when he woke up, his stomach feeling as though it were filled with an army of angry dummies. At this rate, he was considering making his break from spaghetti permanent. While he enjoyed the date with Papyrus, especially his story how he had fought corruption in the force by making the guilty officers complete a book of junior jumbles, his enthusiasm could be a bit exhausting, if not nauseating. He hadn’t even been sure he even learned that much about dating.

He was no closer to solving the loneliness problem than he was before.

Sighing, he turned his head, and examined the photo on the nightstand. It was an image of him with his arm around Toriel, Asriel and Chara both smiling and sitting in their laps. He had put the photos of just him and Torie away, but he’d never be able to put away the family pictures. They were far too precious. This one especially. He began to reminisce about the day it was taken…

\---

“Asriel! Chara! Dinner is almost ready!” Toriel called out from the entrance of their house. After waiting a few moments with no response, she tried again. But nobody came. Asgore came up from behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist.  
  
“Is everything okay, Torie?”  
  
“They have not been replying to my calls. I fear that they might have wandered off too far.”

Asgore smiled and nuzzled the side of her face. “I am certain that they are simply off having an adventure somewhere, as children are wont to do.” He gave Toriel a little squeeze, and felt her lean back in to it. “If you are worried, I can finish dinner while you go and look for them. I am not as good of a cook as you, but I am certain you have done enough that even I cannot spoil it.”  
  
“The only thing I would be worried about is you making the food even sweeter.” Toriel said with a smile as she turned to nuzzle Asgore’s neck. “I will not be long.” The two shared a nose nuzzle, and Toriel was off to drag their children home. Asgore made his way to the kitchen, which was filled with the scent of Toriel’s snail lasagna. He hummed as he sliced and buttered the bread, and began setting the table. Before long, he heard voices in the hallway.  
  
“…I think I must have collected twenty different snails, mom! Do you think we can use them in dinner tonight? Please?”  
  
“It is too late for today Asriel, but maybe you can help me cook with them tomorrow?”

“Thanks mom! You’re the best!” Asgore turned to see Asriel clinging to Toriel’s leg as she walked into the room. Chara walked beside them, bearing their usual troubled expression.   
  
“Howdy Children!”  
  
Chara nodded in acknowledgement, never being one for great displays of affection. Asriel was a different story. “Howdy dad!” Asriel ran across the room and hugged his father as hard as he could. Asgore pretended to be knocked back.

“Wow! You are becoming as big and strong as your father! One day you will be the strongest king the underground has ever seen!” He grinned. “I was hearing you talk to your mother about all the things that you have caught today.”

Asriel nodded enthusiastically. “That’s right! Chara caught something too!”

“Oh? Is that right, Chara?”

Chara nodded, and pulled a scorpion out of their pocket.  
  
“Oh dear.” Toriel interjected. “Chara, we want to be careful with some insects. This one is poisonous, and can make you very sick. I will take it outside for you.” Chara looked down as Toriel grabbed the bug from their hand before tossing it out the window. Their fists were clenched tightly. “Please do not feel sad. I am certain you are still very good at capturing bugs.” Chara only gave a slight nod in response, and started quietly towards the table. They flinched as Asgore placed a hand on their shoulder, breath hitching slightly.

“Not just yet, Chara. I have a surprise for you before dinner.” Asgore announced.

“A surprise? Awesome! They’re going to- I mean, what’s the surprise dad?” Asriel enthused, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“If your father told you, then you would not be surprised.” Toriel responded with a gentle smile. Asgore looked at Chara hopefully, but their expression remained unchanged.

The family made their way through the hallway, Asgore and Toriel instructing Chara to close their eyes. Seemingly more out of obligation than any desire for the surprise, they did so. Eventually, they were at the door to Asriel’s room, and they quietly came in.  
  
“Okay Chara, you may open your eyes.”  
  
When Chara did, he saw Asriel’s bed, and now one for him just across from it on the other side of the room. The blankets and pillow were the same shade of green that they had always worn, and the closet was open and filled with knitted, striped sweaters in just their size. There were several new toys on their side of the room as well.

“Isn’t it great Chara?” Asriel said, pulling them into a hug. Chara squirmed a bit, and then reluctantly placed he hands on Asriel’s shoulders. “You don’t have to use that sleeping bag in the living room anymore! Dad built the bed and mom knit the sweaters, but she let me pick out the toys.”

“We know that life down here has not always been easy to adjust to.” Toriel spoke softly “But both Asgore and I think of you as our child. Just as much as Asriel.”

Asriel nodded to emphasize the point. “That’s right! I always wanted to be a brother!”

Toriel took a breath. “I… do not know what your life was like on the surface. Just know that you will always have a family here who never wants to see you hurt or upset. Who loves you very much.”

Asgore placed his hands on Toriel’s shoulders, and smiled at Chara. “We will always love you, my child.” In the weeks since they had fallen, they had never once smiled, always seeming as though they lived under a cloud of pain and darkness. For that moment though, there was finally a break in that cloud, as they looked up… and smiled.

Asgore and Toriel tried their best to mask their surprise. “Yay! Chara’s happy!” Asriel cheered. Toriel and Asgore pulled their children into an embrace, which for the first time Chara finally returned.

“…thank you.”

Asgore grinned widely. “Would you be okay if I took our first family photo today, Chara?”  
  
Chara, still smiling, nodded.

“Great! I am certain that dinner will remain warm for a while longer yet. I will find my camera…”

\---

Asgore sighed heavily. No matter how much time passed, no matter how many new friends he made, no matter what roots he set down, he dearly missed his family. Losing Asriel and Chara in the same night… there was a piece of his soul that he would never fully get back, and without the piece, he had been capable of _horrible_ things. Things that stung him every time a monster spoke with admiration about their king. Even as he knew Toriel had moved on, he hoped winning her over could fill some of that void. He couldn’t even do that, though.

What the hell _could_ he even do?

_Knock knock._

Asgore climbed out of bed and put on his robe, never feeling more grateful for an interruption to his thoughts than he was now. Wiping the remaining sleep from his eyes, he opened the door to find Frisk, and grinned instinctively. _Have they somehow gotten even taller in just a week? How does the same outfit keep fitting them?_

“Oh! Good morning Frisk! I did not think I slept so late.”

“Hi dad.” Frisk smiled, carrying their overnight bag into the apartment before hugging Asgore’s leg. “It’s okay. I heard about the date.”  
  
Asgore groaned. “You mean Papyrus was not joking when he said he was going to tell everyone about the date?” Frisk just chuckled in response. “Right. I suppose I should been knowledgeable of that. He is very proud of himself.”  
  
Frisk nodded, before flopping down on to the sectional.

“Did you not have a date with Papyrus when you were in the underground? You might have warned me about what would happen.” He called back as he got an electric kettle out from one of the cupboards.

When Asgore was looking again, Frisk just shrugged.

“Well, regardless, it most definitely was an experience,” Asgore responded, setting the kettle down on a part of the counter that wasn’t covered in uncooked spaghetti. “I’m afraid my kitchen is in no condition to provide you a proper breakfast, but I can at least provide tea.” Frisk reached into their bag and pulled out two muffins. “Oh, well thank you!” He said, accepting Frisk’s thoughtful offer before sitting across from them. “So then, if Papyrus told you, you must know that I am attempting to go on ‘dates’ once again.”

Frisk nodded.

“Well, I do hope that this does not make things awkward for you. Or your mother.”

She shrugged. Asgore assumed that it meant they were fine.

“It just seemed that with your mother seeing that Sans gentleman so often, it was time for me to move on.” All of a sudden, Frisk burst into laughter. “What on earth is so funny?”

Frisk smirked. “You’re jealous.”

“I most certainly am not.” He tugged nervously on his beard. “Is that the kettle? I think it must be.” Frisk snickered while Asgore went to prepare the tea. _Today feels like a good day for something lighter, maybe a white with a bit of rose and honey._ “In any case, I most certainly would not be jealous if Sans was courting your mother. I mean, if that’s actually happening.” When Frisk didn’t speak or gesture in response, he suddenly felt the room get a bit hotter. “Not that any such affairs would be my concern of course. Simply out of idle curiosity.” He stammered as he brought the cups over to the table. Frisk just rolled their eyes in response.

“Perhaps a change in subject then. I have heard that you got an A in your latest art project!”

They grinned and immediately started digging in her bag again, this time pulling out a watercolor piece from a tube inside. It was a pretty picture of the view of the old castle from Waterfall. There were some imperfections in some of the details on the turrets, as well as the scale of everything, but as far as Asgore was concerned it’d have been brilliant work for anyone, let alone a twelve year-old. “It is beautiful, Frisk! You are becoming quite the artist.” He beamed with pride. “May I hang this up?”

Frisk nodded enthusiastically, and Asgore went to place it on the (thankfully undamaged) fridge, carefully placing the magnets so that the picture wouldn’t wrinkle. He took a step back to examine it as though he were in a fine art gallery. When he looked back, Frisk was giving him an odd look. “Sorry, I am just being a silly ‘Dad Guy’. It really is a very striking painting.”

Bringing the dishes into the kitchen, Frisk came up beside him and hugged him tightly, even by the standards of their usual hugs. “Thanks, dad.” Asgore smiled and tousled their hair, and Frisk giggled as they tried to fix it. He’d be fine. For the weekend, at least.

“So Frisk, Undyne ‘asked’ us to come with her and Alphys to see a tea store. Would you like to do that today?”  
  
Frisk nodded enthusiastically.

“Then we have our plans for today.” He grinned. “You are not too old for froggit-back rides just yet, are you?” Before they could finish shaking her head, they had already been lifted up by one of his hands and placed onto his shoulders. They giggled and gripped his horns for balance. “Remember to duck your head in the doorways.”

“Got it, dad!”

\---

“Frisk! Just where the heck have you been, punk? C’mere!” Frisk had scarcely made it off the bus before Undyne had grabbed them by the arm and was giving her a noogie. “Looks like we both brought our dorks with us, too.” She grinned as she gestured to Asgore.

“H-hey, Frisk!” Alphys called as she ran up to Frisk, giving her a big hug. “That guy who was being kind of a jerk at the lab, I did what you said, and I-i actually told him to back off! He poured his drink on my head, but at l-least I did it!” Frisk grinned and gave her a thumbs up, which seemed to get Alphys to stand up a little bit straighter. Seeing how Frisk tended to make the people around them better made Asgore think that they would have made a wonderful future ruler if they had all stayed underground…

“I still don’t know why you don’t just let me beat the punk up…” Undyne grumbled.

“Well… I want to learn to stand up for myself more, you know? If he ever does anything REALLY bad, then I’ll let you know. “Alphys leaned her head against Undyne. “Next time, I’m going to throw my drink at him!”

“Make sure you do it when it’s still in the bottle! Then I bet you’d leave, like, a huge bump on his head! Fuhuhuhuhu!”

“If you say that you are having no difficulties handling this on your own, then we will trust you, Alphys.” Asgore smiled. “Now I must say, I was getting very excited to look at this tea store!”

“Damn right you are! Right this way, nerds!”

Undyne lead them a couple of blocks away, during which the group turned the heads of a number of humans. Even if they were starting to get used to monsters being around, seeing a human child traveling with a group of them was still a bit unusual. Asgore thought he heard some whispering about “that child’s parents”, but a glare from Undyne put an end to any more whispering.

When they finally arrived at the shop, Asgore was immediately hit with the scent of several different blends. Everything smelled so wonderful! The human who ran the shop was extremely helpful, and even helped Undyne get her head around the idea that there were teas that you could serve without bags. As soon as Asgore offered to treat everyone, though, they ended up leaving the store with what must have been nearly twenty pounds of tea. Black teas, white teas, green teas, herbals, darjeelings, chai teas, teas that were supposed to taste like fruit, butter, and even one that was supposed to smell like a campfire! That one was Undyne’s favorite, of course. Regardless, they wouldn’t have to serve the same tea twice in a long time. As they got to the corner, they passed by the purple bakery Asgore had noticed his last trip downtown.

“Hey losers! Let’s stop in here. I have to say hi, and we’ve got to get something to have with our tea,” Undyne decided before throwing the door open. The bakery was elaborated decorated; spider webs covered the ceiling in lacy patterns, the counters, tables, and upholstery all the same shade of rich purple with lacy trim. It was the sort of place you might be afraid to sit down in for fear of messing up the furniture. A spider was nibbling on a donut at one of the tables.

As they approached the counter, they saw the menu was written on a blackboard in impeccably neat cursive. One of the panels simply read: “Dear Customers – Be kind to the spiders, and remember to be on your best behavior! ~No rudeness, no stealing, no loitering~” A picture of what looked to be a cupcake with teeth was drawn underneath it.

After a few moments, a monster with several arms and pigtails emerged from the back.

“Good afternoon, dearies, what can I get for you today?” She smiled and made her way to the front counter, and suddenly seemed to notice Undyne’s presence. “Undyne, dear! How are you and your sweetheart?”

“We’re great!” Alphys replied as Undyne yanked her close.

“Humans aren’t still giving you trouble, are they?” Undyne asked.

“Not recently~” She chimed, smiling sweetly. “Most humans understand my bakery’s rules now. The most dreadful things happen to them when they don’t, ahuhuhu~”

“Good!” Undyne grinned. “Let me know if they step out of line, and I’ll rough em’ up!”

“Of course, dearie~” She then turned to look at Frisk. “Oh my, I remember you! Who would have thought the young spider supporter from the ruins would be the one to break the barrier? I hope there are no hard feelings about our little misunderstanding, ahuhuhu~”

Frisk nodded somewhat nervously. Asgore thought to himself that he would have to ask Frisk about that misunderstanding, when the lady turned her attention towards him and immediately curtsied. “Asgore Dreemurr? To think I would have both the king himself and the child who broke the barrier in my little shop~”

Asgore chuckled bashfully. “Well, I am no king anymore.”

Muffet dismissed him with a wave of two of her hands. “Oh dearie, you will always be the king to so many of us~”

Asgore smiled despite himself, when he realized that while all the monsters knew him, he did not know everyone who may have been living underground. He thought he might have seen her in passing once or twice, but actually had no idea who she was. “Forgive me, but I do not think we have ever been formally introduced.”   
  
“That’s okay, dearie. I’m Muffet~” She smiled as she shook his hand. Asgore returned the smile, and after some time realized he had been shaking her hand for a decidedly awkward length of time. Thankfully, she didn’t comment on it, and just chuckled. “Now tell me, what can I get for you?”

“Four spider croissants, and four spider ciders, please.” Suddenly, he perked up his ears as he thought he heard a man screaming in the distance.

She must have noticed the look on Asgore’s face, as she spoke up. “Don’t mind the screaming dearies, just an employee discipline issue~ He’ll be fine. Frightened and with a few bite marks for his troubles, but he’ll be fine~”

Asgore nodded, and watched Muffet’s graceful movements simultaneously set to work grabbing the donuts, pouring the ciders, and making sure everything was presented nicely on the tray. Apparently having a few extra sets of hands meant things got done quickly.

“Um, Asgore, are you okay?” He snapped back to awareness by Alphys’ voice. “Y-you’ve been staring over at the counter for a while now.”

“Me? I am perfectly fine, of course!” He grinned uneasily. Frisk just snickered.

“Here you go dearies, all freshly made~ That will be twenty dollars~”

Asgore handed her the money, including a generous tip. “Thank you very much, miss!”

“I appreciate the formality dear, but please just call me Muffet~” She chirped with a smile. Glancing down at their bags, she held two of her hands to her face. “Oh! You were just at that darling little shop down the road. I absolutely adore their chocolate mate. Especially with just a little bit of spider milk~”

“Chocolate tea? That sounds… really nice…” Alphys murmured.

“I did not know you also enjoyed tea, mis- I mean, Muffet.” Asgore perked up.

Muffet giggled. “Ahuhuhuhu~ Of course I do, dearie. I feel as though when I’m not at work, I’m always carrying a cup with me~ I do hope you managed to get some for yourselves~”

Asgore shook his head. “I did not see any there. They must have run out by the time we got there.”

“Oh my, that’s simply dreadful~” She fretted. “I am afraid I am short staffed today, but if you return when I have time to spare, I would love to make you a pot~”

Asgore had been about to speak when Alphys looked up. “Well, that sounds really nice… but I think we have a lot of tea to get through already.” He tried not to look too disappointed. Stopping in for tea sounded like it would be just lovely…

“Oh, well, you know what happens to people who think they’re too good for our hospitality~” Frisk turned a bit pale until Muffet winked with two of her eyes. “Only kidding~ Enjoy the rest of your snack, dearies!”

Asgore sighed, then bit into his croissant. It was delicious, if slightly ‘crunchy’ for lack of a better term. “So Frisk, where would you like to go after this?”

“You’re both coming back to our place for cooking lessons!” Undyne slammed her already empty jug of cider on the table. “Sorry fuzzball, but Alphys and I don’t get to see Frisk nearly often enough.”

“We’ve even cleaned up a-a little bit. There’s only instant noodle cups covering half the apartment…” Alphys trailed off. When Asgore looked over at Frisk and saw that they were nodding, any resolve he had to fight it melted it away.

“What are we learning to make, Undyne?”

“SPAGHETTI!” Undyne grinned, only stopping when she saw the look of horror on Asgore’s face. “Nah, I’m messing with you. We’re going to be cooking something else. We all know you need a break from spaghetti.”

“Did Papyrus..?”

Everyone at the table nodded.

All Asgore could do was sigh. _He would certainly do such a thing_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support peeps! So a quick note about Frisk/Chara in my fic. The tags and the pronouns I used in the first chapter reflected how I was imagining them on my own playthrough of the game, but for this and future chapters I'll be sticking to "they" pronouns, as after asking around on tumblr and having it pointed out to me in comments I feel it's more in keeping with the game to leave it up to the reader to project Frisk/Chara as however they see fit.


	3. Rdy to have all your Dreem-s come true? ; )

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore really puts himself out on the market. Whether he likes it or not.

“Alright, Frisk! So with the eggs, you’re supposed to crack them in the bowl like you’re throwing a spear; LIKE YOU WANT TO KILL WHATEVER’S ON THE OTHER END!” Undyne demonstrated with one of the eggs by hurling it into the bowl at full force, pieces of shell flying out like eggy shrapnel. Frisk nodded, and hurled the egg down at full force. A crack formed and the egg slowly started to trickle out. “Great work! Now you, Asgore!”

“Aren’t we supposed to remove the shells?” He asked.

“Of course. When baking a cake you always remove the shells. If it’s for babies!” Undyne snarled in response.

Regardless, Asgore gently cracked his egg and let it pour out into the bowl. He wasn’t nearly the cook Toriel was, but he had learned a few things while watching her.

“Um… cool? So Alphys, what’s next?”

“Okay! W-well, it says we need a cup of milk, and then a cup of brown sugar. I-I’ve already measured it out while you were teaching them about the eggs…” Alphys presented a cup of milk and a cup of sugar that looked like it had been measured with impossible precision. Asgore was impressed.

“Great job, dork! Now pass it here.” Undyne dumped them into the bowl in an uncharacteristically delicate fashion. “What’s next?!”

“It says one stick of melted butter…”

“I will do it. Dum dee dum…” It didn’t take long for his fire magic to melt the butter, but before he could pour it in. Undyne stopped him.

“Know what would make this recipe even better? If it was even more melted! BOIL IT!” Asgore did as instructed, heating the butter to the point where he could no longer hold the container. Both the container and the butter fell into the bowl. Undyne removed it and tossed it behind her. Asgore winced as he heard the sound of breaking glass.

“Frisk! You’re in charge of the spices! Let’s get them in there.”

Frisk slowly started measuring out spoonfuls of cinnamon and nutmeg, when she was met by a disapproving look by Undyne.

“Frisk! What does more spice mean? MORE FLAVOUR!” Frisk nodded, and dumped all of the spices into the mix.

“F-flour is ready!” Alphys announced as she passed another perfectly measured cup to Undyne. Once it was added, she stepped out for a moment, and came back out with her spear. “Now it’s mixing time! Asgore, you got your trident?” He shook his head. It was buried somewhere in his closet, where he hoped he would never have to use it, or even see it again. “Alright, I’ve got this!”

She jammed the spear into the mixing bowl, and started rotating it as quickly as she could, creating a cloud of cinnamon sending bits of batter everywhere. After a moment, she passed it to Frisk, who stirred in a much more reserved manner. Finally, it was ready for the cake pan, and the oven. The recipe called for 425 degrees, but Undyne insisted it would be ready in half that time if it was at 850. Alphys took that as her opportunity to “check on something” in their room. When the cake was finally served, it was blackened and dry on the surface, but underneath was still batter. Asgore found himself coughing as he took the first bite and was overwhelmed with Cinnamon. Frisk made a face as though they had swallowed an entire lemon. Undyne just grinned.

“Another successful cooking lesson, and cake for dinner! You punks are so lucky to be friends with me!” Asgore wondered how Undyne could grin so widely without unhinging her jaw.

“Um… yes?” Frisk reluctantly nodded. They both found themselves envious of Alphys, who had somehow managed to avoid their fate with whatever she was attending to. Suddenly, she came back into the kitchen.

“Alright, Asgore, i-it’s all set!” Alphys announced. Asgore looked somewhat confused. Frisk just smiled widely. “Frisk and I g-got you a cell phone for you to use!”

“Oh! Well that is very generous of you. Thank you so much!” He pulled the both of them to a big hug, when he heard Undyne’s voice.

“And that’s not all! I’ve gotten you set up on a dating site!” Undyne grinned.

“A dating… site?”

“Duh! It’s like Undernet, but if you want to meet people for dates!”

“I do not think I know what that is, either.” He confessed with an awkward smile.

“NGAHHHH! JUST LET ME GET TO THE POINT!” Undyne smashed her spear through the table, silence filling the room shortly after. “Thank you very much! Now, I’m going to show you your profile. You can thank Papyrus for the photo.”

Taking the phone into his hands, he saw a figure with what looked like his face, flexing like a bodybuilder in front of a mirror. His biceps looked the size of most people’s waists, and the definition in the photograph was… disturbing. He also had a set of sunglasses photoshopped on his face. “This doesn’t exactly look like me...”

“All part of the process, fuzzball! You need to look cool if you want to get a date, and this is just what Papyrus and I decided you needed to look cool! Now look at what we wrote for you.” He looked down on the screen:

_What’s up, honeys? The king is buff and looking for someone to get the royal treatment. Rdy to have all your Dreem-s come true? ; )_

_Favorite hobbies: Working out, not watching cartoons for babies, Being really cool_

_Interested in: You, maybe (audible wink)_

Asgore buried his face in his hands. “Please, Undyne. I know you are trying to be helpful, but this is just embarrassing. This is not like anything I would ever write myself. I certainly do not wish to use my former title to find someone. That is not the person I am anymore.”

“A-actually, it seems to be working.” Alphys cut in. “Look at your messages!” With a bit of help from her, he was now looking at an inbox with about thirty different messages. “We’ve made your first date for the Wednesday after next… hope that’s okay.”

“Trust me, we could get you a lot more than that! Everyone loves the king!” There were those words again. The king… was that all people thought of him? Could he ever live up to that image? Did he ever?

Suddenly he felt Frisk’s hand on their shoulder. When he looked at them, they were giving him a reassuring look. Frisk had that talent of being able to say more with an expression than most people could if they spoke all day. Asgore nodded, and began to feel more determined.

“I will be looking forward to the date.”

It was Monday, and a school day. Asgore and Frisk disembarked off the bus, and started on their way to the school, Frisk riding on top of Asgore’s shoulders.

“Did you have a good weekend, child?” Frisk nodded and smiled. “Good! I hope you also enjoyed seeing Alphys and Undyne again, even if her cake lessons were a bit less than successful.” Frisk laughed heartily and continued nodding. “I also hope you weren’t too embarrassed by that picture that Undyne and Papyrus made of me.” Frisk shook their head.

“Dad?”

“Yes, Frisk?”

“Whatever comes up for you… stay determined.”

Asgore looked a bit confused. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was supposed to stay determined for. Then again, Frisk had a habit of being cryptic sometimes, and they were often wise beyond their years. Asgore nodded in response. “I will.”

As they got to the gate, he put Frisk back down, who immediately ran towards Toriel. “Mom!” Toriel smiled and scooped them up in a hug.

“Why hello Frisk! It is so good to see you again! I hope that you had an enjoyable weekend with your father.” Frisk just gave the same enthusiastic nod they had given Asgore, who stood nearby. “You shall have to tell me all about it when we get home.” She looked up and smiled politely at Asgore.

“Howdy Torie! Yes, Frisk and I had a very fun day with Undyne and Alphys.”

“Hm. How is Alphys?”

“She’s doing fine. She and Frisk helped to get me a cell phone of my very own!”

“Oh, that is fun! May I put my number in your phone?” Toriel inquired.

“Certainly!” Asgore grinned as he handed his phone over to Toriel, who had suddenly froze as she looked at the screen.

“Asgore. What the hell is this?” Confusion turned to horror as he looked over at the phone. The dating site profile that had been made for him was still open, and Toriel had seen the decidedly compromising picture of him. “I do not think that you looked like this even when we first met.”

“S-sorry Torie!” He grabbed the phone and quickly closed the page. “That wasn’t me. It was just a joke Undyne and Papyrus were playing on me.”

“Is that so? I hope Papyrus is not leading you on with this. He did tell me he needed firmer boundaries with you.” _Toriel too? Did she really have to know, Papyrus?_

Realizing there was no graceful way to get out of the conversation, he tousled Frisk’s hair. “Well, I am afraid I have gardening that I must be getting to. Have a good day at school today both of you!” As he turned and headed to his tool-shed, he heard both Toriel and Frisk snickering.

\---

It was a hot Friday afternoon. Asgore wiped the sweat off his brow, and examined his handiwork. A segment of the hedges was trimmed into the shape of the seven soul containers; six filled and one empty. He snipped at the tops of the containers, as there were still a few errant leaves. While he was pleased with how they looked, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t enough. He needed to be reaching his goal faster, if he was going to get it finished by summer. He moved to cover it up with a tarp, and considered moving to the next segment, but at a certain point the heat stopped being pleasant to work in, and he was well past that point.

As Asgore put his tools away for the day, he found himself wanting to just relax over a cup of tea. Suddenly, he remembered something. _That girl at the bakery, surely her invitation would still be valid despite Alphys declining? I mean, she can’t possibly be expected to answer for all of us…_ With that, Asgore was on the next bus.

When he arrived at the bakery, Asgore was greeted by a human at the counter this time, one wearing an elaborate, frilly dress. “Hi. What do you want? Sorry, I mean what do you want dearie?” she asked in a bored monotone.

“Actually, young lady, I was wondering if Muffet might be in today.”

She rolled her eyes. “One sec. Hey, Muffet! Some big hairy guy wants to see you!”

“Dear, you need to be more polite to the customers than that~” Called a voice from the back.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, some big hairy ~gentleman~ wants to see you!”

“That’s better~ Coming!” Muffet emerged from the back room not long after, brandishing a duster in one of her hands. “Asgore! I’m so pleased to see you again!” She chirped.  
  
“Howdy Muffet! It is good to see you as well.” He smiled. “I wanted to ask if you were short staffed today?”

She tilted her head. “I am not. Were you thinking of submitting an application?”

He chuckled. “I am afraid I am already employed. I had just remembered that you had something about that delightful chocolate tea last week, and that you might be interested in sharing some.”

“Oh yes~ But I thought that you and your friends already had too much tea?”

“I am someone who can never have too much tea. I do understand if you are too busy, but if your offer still stands I would love to try it.”

Muffet clasped two of her hands together as she finished dusting with another. “Of course it does dearie! I’ll put some on right now and be out in a moment.” She placed a hand on the shoulder of the human girl. “Be a dear, and look after things until I come back to work, won’t you~”

She groaned. “Well I was totally going to split, since it’s not like I need the money or anything, but now that you mention it…”

“Good, I’m glad we had this talk~”

Before long, Muffet had come out from behind the counter holding a kettle, two teacups with saucers, and a plate with bread and jam. Asgore immediately stood up and pulled out a chair for Muffet, pushing it back into place once she was sitting down.

“My, you are quite the gentleman~

“Even a former king needs to practice good manners.” Asgore smiled warmly as he took his own seat.

“Well it is much appreciated~ It is a pleasant surprise to find someone who still understands the importance of good manners. Almost as pleasant as having one of our royal family stop in for tea with me~” She spoke as she passed one of the cups of tea to Asgore and set the bread in the middle of the table.

“It is the least I can do for a young lady willing to enjoy a cup of tea with an old man like myself.”

Muffet giggled. “Ahuhuhuhu~ And just how old do you think I am?”

“I cannot say I know exactly how spider monsters age, but from the looks of you cannot be terribly old.”

She smiled and tilted her head. “You need to remember some spiders have been underground even before other monsters were banished there~ While I won’t go into specifics, I’ll say I’m no child, and that I’ve been around for much longer than you realize~” She poured a bit of milk into her tea and took a sip. “As for how I remain looking youthful, the blood of human children has the most wonderful restorative properties…” Asgore nearly choked on his bread until she giggled and winked at him. “Only joking~ Unless you think I’m the sort to drink children’s blood~”

Asgore chuckled as he took a sip of the tea. “Certainly not!” It really did taste a bit like chocolate. “I am still a bit surprised that if you have been around so long, that we had never encountered each other before.”

She held a hand to her mouth and giggled. “Ahuhuhu~ We have, briefly. I had seen you and the queen at a couple of our spider bake sales, though we were never formally introduced~ We simply tend to keep to ourselves most of the time. Though the underground was far more welcoming than the surface, spiders still tend to not be the most popular of creatures~”

Asgore felt a bit troubled at this, and thought back to when Undyne asked if humans had _still_ given her any trouble. “You have not encountered any difficulties from the humans, have you? Or other monsters, for that matter?”

There was a noticeable silence until Muffet’s smile returned. Somewhat more forced this time. “It’s nothing I want to burden you with today, dearie~” Asgore nodded. While he still felt an obligation to ensure the monsters were protected, he knew that there were some subjects best left undiscussed. “While we are discussing the surface, dearie, I have heard from other monsters that you are groundskeeper at a school the queen opened?”

 _Of course she would know_. News traveled fast amongst the monsters, especially for former royalty. “I am. I greatly enjoy working in gardens, and it has allowed me to re-establish my friendship with Toriel.”

“Friendship?” She inquired. “You mean that the two of you…”

Asgore nodded and took a long drink. “I am afraid so.”

“That’s a shame dearie~ I had always thought you two had made just the sweetest couple. Forgive me if I’m being too forward~”

Asgore shook his head, and gave her an uneasy smile. “Not at all. I am mostly surprised that you did not find our relationship and affection tiresome. I have been informed many monsters found it difficult to be in the same room with us.”

“For what it’s worth, I thought it was very cute~ All couples should be so affectionate~”

“I am pleased that someone thinks so.” He paused to take a bite of the bread. “I have actually started teaching a class of my own.”  
  
“Oh! How Delightful!” She clasped two of her hands as she dabbed the corner of her mouth with a napkin. “Do tell me more~”

“I teach a gardening class in the afternoons. I am not nearly the teacher that Toriel is, but the children do seem to enjoy themselves. Even the human children have become wonderful participants. Even if a few of them have made some rather crude… sketches of me~”

“Ahuhuhuhu~ I’m almost afraid to ask what exactly they were drawing.”

A sheepish expression spread across Asgore’s face. “Nothing that would be proper to share.”

“Human children can be so disrespectful~ If you like, perhaps one day I might take me pet for a walk during your class~” Muffet winked two of her eyes at Asgore.

“Your pet?”

“Oh that’s right, you haven’t met. It’s for the best dearie~ Most people who meet them do so because they’ve been terribly misbehaved, and it ends so badly for them. Ahuhuhu~” She tilted her head. “Oh dearie, don’t look so worried. You’ve been nothing but a perfect gentleman since you’ve come in~”

He had no idea what pet she was talking about, but suddenly felt very relieved to be on Muffet’s good side. She must have noticed that his cup was getting empty, as she had refilled it. A spider carrying a tiny broom and dustpan had climbed on the table to clean up the crumbs. “Thank you very much. I must say I have never seen a bakery employ spiders before. Or any business, for that matter.”

“Most businesses would never care to hire a spider, dearie~” She took a sip of her tea. “One of the reasons this bakery has always been my dream is so that there is a place spiders can feel safe and welcomed. Sometimes, all it takes is a place like this to give someone hope~”

Asgore nodded slowly; as someone who had pushed himself to give his people hope at all costs, he truly understood just how important it could be. “Well, I think it’s wonderful that they have someone like you to look out for them!”

“Why thank you dearie! You’re so sweet~” She smiled as she rested a hand on Asgore’s forearm. For some reason her hand felt hot to the touch. “You know, if you wish to help, anything you buy here will go to help real spiders~”

“In that case, may I purchase one dozen spider donuts?”

“Absolutely dearie~ It’s about time I’ve gotten back to work anyways.” She gathered the dishes, and once she was behind the counter began using her free hands to fill a box with donuts. “That will be eighteen dollars dearie~” She announced with a smile.

Asgore paid for the donuts. “Thank you very much Muffet. Tea was delightful, as I am certain these donuts would be.” He smiled and turned to leave.

“Wait, dearie!” Asgore turned back and looked inquisitively at Muffet. “I had a delightful time as well.” She paused for a moment. “I would have still had a delightful time even if you hadn’t bought anything. I’d be happy to make our tea time a regular thing if you like~”

“Yes! I-I mean certainly, I would like that.” Asgore stammered.

Muffet giggled. “Ahuhuhuhu~ I’ll expect you here next Friday at the same time. Do be sure you’re not late~”

“Well, I do have a reputation as a perfect gentleman to uphold.” He smiled. “I will be here.”

 


	4. Having A Bad Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore finds some encouragement in a very unlikely place. Meanwhile, not all humans have adjusted to so well to having monsters living with them on the surface. Especially certain kinds.

Asgore scanned Grillby’s for his date, looking for a red beret. He tugged on the collar of his shirt, not entirely sure of why he was here. He was lonely, certainly, but was this really how he wanted to solve the problem? A meeting he didn’t really have a choice about, and had to force himself to be enthusiastic about? He also remembered Frisk’s words, though, and wanted to try to live up to them. Finally, he noticed the red beret on a plane monster who had just come in. He waved enthusiastically at her from across the room, and she slowly started to approach.

“Howdy! I’m Asgore. And you must be Tsunderplane?”

“Y-yeah… but don’t you get the wrong idea! I’m not here because I like you or anything.”

Asgore looked a bit confused. “But aren’t we supposed to be on a date?”

She turned up her nose at him. “Idiot! Like I would ever go on a date with you! But I guess I can let you buy me a drink. J-just because I feel sorry for you.”

Asgore scratched his head. So far, this date was making no sense whatsoever. She agreed to go on a date, and now had started on about how he was an idiot who she would never date. Being generous, though, Asgore decided to play along. “Well miss, I can certainly buy you a drink. What would you like?”

“You’re not asking because you like me that way, are you?” She blushed. “Y-you better not be that kind of pervert.”

“Um, no, I am not doing it because I like you that way?”

“Hmph.” Deciding that this was the closest he was ever going to get to a sound of approval, he ordered two sodas, and a large order of French fries to share. When he looked back at the girl, she was blushing again and trying not to meet his eye. “Ugh, why are you staring at me like that? I knew you were a pervert!”

Asgore suddenly averted his eyes. “I am sorry! I did not intend for it to come across as though I were staring at you. I just wanted to see how you were enjoying yourself, and make sure that you were having a good time on our,” he took a pause to think of the best term. “Not date?”

“It’s okay. I guess.”

Asgore smiled, determined to make the most of things here. “That is good to hear! So tell me, what is it that you do?”

“…air traffic control.” She sneered.

_Another conversation topic?_ “So how have you been enjoying it on the surface? The sunlight has been absolutely wonderful for my garden.”

“Hmph.” _Okay, not much for conversation at all._

As Grillby came by to bring them their drinks, suddenly Tsunderplane’s body language became more tense, and she moved closer to Asgore. “Don’t think I’m doing this because I’m jealous or anything. I just want to get a better view outside of the window.”

“But there are no windows in here…”

“I-idiot!”

Asgore sighed, and started to hope that maybe things would get better once the fries came out. He knew that he could be a touch cantankerous when he was hungry, and maybe Tsunderplane was the same way? After a few awkward minutes of waiting, Grillby finally brought the fries out. “Have you ever tried the fries here? They are great!” he enthused.

Tsunderplane sneered, but slowly tried one of the French fries. “They’re… okay.”

“I will take it!” Asgore announced, and started to take some for himself, right up until the moment he touched Tsunderplane’s wing, and she paused to look at him a moment. “Oh, I am very sorry about that. I must have b-“

“IDIOT!” She shrieked, immediately throwing her drink in his face. “YOU’RE A PERVERT! I-I CAN’T BELIEVE I EVEN CAME HERE WITH YOU! Especially when it’s not like I like you or anything…” Asgore was at a loss for words as Tsunderplane ran (or flew?) out of Grillby’s. _I think I can safely call this date unsuccessful. It’s now two out of two…_ As he tried to wipe his face off, he heard a trombone playing beside him.

“tough break, huh?”

He turned around to see one of the last people he wanted to see right now. “How long have you been sitting there, Sans? I did not notice you come in.”

He shrugged. “not long. took a shortcut so i could pick up dinner.”

“I see.” Asgore went back to trying to clean the soda off. It was going to take forever to get it out of his hair…

“so, um, hey. maybe this is kinda awkward, but it looks like you’re having a bad time.”

“You could certainly say that, yes.” Asgore grumbled.

“heh, well i know what that’s like.” Sans winked at Asgore, which made him feel uneasy for some reason. “hey grillby, can i get a couple of burgs over here?” Grillby just nodded in response. “so, back on the market, huh?”

He gave Sans an awkward look. “Well, you did see what just happened. I am also certain that Papyrus has told you about the profile that he has made”

Sans chuckled. “yeah, my brother likes to talk about all the cool ways he tries to help people. gotta say though, he was really excited to help you out especially. he’s worried about you, y’know?”

“Why would he be worried about me?” Asgore asked.

“he just doesn’t want you to be bonely.” Sans winked at him again, and Asgore swore he heard a rimshot playing in the distance. “hey, lighten up a bit. just trying to improve the mood with some gentle ribbing.”

Asgore chuckled softly in spite of how awful the jokes were. Whatever he felt about what was going on between Sans and Toriel, there was a sincerity in his attempts to cheer him up that he couldn’t help but take to heart.

“for what it’s worth, i don’t think anything could have made that date go well. whoever set you up with them really picked a winner.” Sans made finger-guns at Grillby as he brought the burgers. “thanks grillby. hey asgore, got fifty grand to spare?” As Asgore reached for his wallet, Sans held up his hands. “kidding. just on my tab’s fine.”

“Thank you. I also appreciate you saying so. I may be out of touch when it comes to courtship today, but I do not ever recall it being so difficult.” He took a big bite out of his burger. _Still the best I have ever had._

Sans shrugged. “it happens. sometimes things don’t work like you hope. sometimes they don’t work so many times it’s easier not to really care.”

Asgore finished chewing. “So what do you do then?”

“eh, i’m not that much for actually doing much, y’know? every now and then though, you come across something that makes you care.” He took a drink from the bottle of ketchup on the table. “i ever tell the story of how i met frisk?” Asgore took another bite and shook his head. “alright, so i’m on my usual patrol in the snowdin woods. which usually means sitting by T’s door and trading some really great puns. i’m about to knock when i hear voices on the other side. i figure it’s important, so i stay back to let them finish. all of a sudden, this human comes out of the ruins. first time in a while i ever saw anything come out from that door that wasn’t a bad joke. now right away, i start getting vibes from this kid. i mean, they’re either something great or serious trouble…” Suddenly, the temperature in the room seemed to drop as Sans’ voice lowered. A faint blue glow began to emanate from his eye socket. “And I’m ready to kill them right then and there just in case.”

Before Asgore could comment, Sans’ face had already returned to normal. “of course, i remember I already made a promise to the old lady that i’m gonna protect this kid. so i do. i’m watching out for them as they’re headed to you, and not once in that entire time do they lift a finger to hurt anyone. even when they get hurt bad, they just eat some candy or something and keep trying to make friends. suddenly, i’m not just rooting for this kid because of a promise, but because i actually care what happens. i’m even rooting for them when they go up against you. uh, no offence.”

“None taken.” Truthfully, he was a bit taken aback, but he could not blame Sans. Not when he was about to… he drove the thought out of his head and refocused on the story.

“hey, don’t look at me like that. it wasn’t because i thought you were a bad guy or anything. but when someone makes you care about what happens, you just go along with it.” Asgore nodded, feeling a bit better about himself. “as for what happened, well, i didn’t really see. i have some dreams where i don’t know what happens, and the kid just uses your soul to escape. i have some other dreams that are… worse.” He coughed. “but what i know i saw was them breaking the barrier. and getting us all out of that cave. it paid off.”

Asgore sighed. “It most certainly did. I truly regret that I did was not able to see in Frisk what you and Torie did. Had it not been for me-“

“hey, if it weren’t for you where were we going to get six other human souls?” Sans asked. “i’m telling you that story for two reasons. the first is to let you know you’re not as baa-d as you think you are.” _There’s that rimshot again..._ “the second is to show that even if things are so bad you stop caring, you can start again?” He shrugged. “not exactly a poet here, heh. but i think you get what i mean. the point is, eventually it’s gonna pay off.”

“I think that I understand what you mean too.” Asgore smiled.

“cool. guess this was a good talk then.” Sans winked. “i, uh, probably should bring dinner back. T and the kid are probably wondering where i am.”

“Before you go… how… how is Torie? With you?”

Sans took a minute to answer, as if he were thinking about whether or not Asgore really wanted to hear what he was about to say. “she’s great. she laughs at my bad jokes, i laugh at hers, we read books and do puzzles together, she doesn’t hassle me about not getting up to much, she gets along great with papyrus… it’s pretty neat.”

Asgore nodded. “Good. I am glad to hear that.”

“heh, no hard feelings then?”

A slight smile passed Asgore’s lips. “No hard feelings.”

“cool. well, i’m off.” Sans spoke as he headed towards the kitchen. “i’m rooting for you.”

And with that, he slipped through the kitchen doors.

\---

“I finally managed to get the meeting at the human bank, which as far as I’m concerned is still simply absurd~ I can’t possibly understand why humans don’t just carry their savings with them at all times in gold coins~”

“Humans are most definitely strange.” Asgore took a big sip of his tea. This week was a green tea with lemon and ginger, which was quite refreshing.

“Regardless, I showed them how many sales that we’ve had over the past three months, even with some unfortunate cases of hooliganism~ I discussed projected sales figures for the rest of the year and how we’ll still be running a profit even with twice the employees and expenses for running the next location, and he agreed! By this time next year, there will be a second Muffet’s Bakery~” She chirped, looking so happy that she might burst.

Asgore grinned widely. “Congratulations! I am very happy for you.” He didn’t actually understand the majority of what she was talking about, as he had absolutely no head for business, but he knew that Muffet had talked about planning a second location for some time.

“Ahuhuhu~ Thank you, dearie!”

True to his word, he had been there for tea when he promised. Then the week after. Then the week after that. It didn’t take long for Friday afternoon to become the part of the week he most looked forward to. They would spend hours telling stories about their weeks; difficult customers or students, gardening, new recipes, anything that came to mind. Muffet would still make her usual sales pitch, but outside of a few gentle threats never held it against Asgore if he couldn’t handle any more sweets.

Suddenly, Asgore noticed the clock. “Oh my, is it closing time for you? I am so sorry to have kept you so long. I should be on my way.”

“It’s fine dearie~ It’s my own fault for losing track of time so easily~” She smiled at Asgore reassuringly. “Before you go, though, I wanted to ask you something~”

“Of course, Muffet.”

“Well, I usually take my pet out for a walk in the park when I’m finished the day~ A bit of fresh air feels so nice after a day at work. Would you care to join me?”

“I would love to!” He grinned.

“That’s wonderful dearie!” She smiled and hung up her apron. “Just give me a few minutes to tidy up, and we can head down to the park together~”

He nodded enthusiastically, and waited at the table as she wiped down the counters and flitted to the back room. She emerged a few minutes later in a sweater, carrying a steak and a decidedly large leash. “Ready, dearie?”

“Let us go.” Asgore moved to hold the door open for Muffet, who smiled graciously. “I have to say, I do not see your pet anywhere.”

“Oh, we need to go to the back to get him~ Just follow me~” She lead him to the back alley beside her bakery, up to a set of large cellar doors. Throwing them open, she whistled sharply. “Cupcake, dearie! Dinner time!” With a smile, she dangled the steak above the open doors. Suddenly, Asgore heard a low, menacing growl coming from the doors. A few moments later, he jumped back as a huge, fanged beast emerged from the depths, snatching the snake from Muffet’s hand. It chewed twice before swallowing, Muffet clapping all the while. “Good boy, Cupcake!” She patted its head with one hand while attaching its leash with another. Getting a better look at it, he saw a monster that looked just like a gigantic cupcake. Six insect-like arms wriggled constantly, and beneath its two eyes was a massive, fanged mouth.

“Goodness! I apologize, your pet seems to have given me a bit of a fright.”

“Ahuhuhu~ Cupcake has that effect on most people~”

“I-I can see why.” Asgore stammered. Taking a breath, he attempted to reach out his hand to pet it. “Who’s a good b-“ He was interrupted as Cupcake immediately started snarling and snapping at his hand, only stopping when Muffet pulled his leash tight.

“Stop it, Cupcake! Asgore is our friend~ We do not eat our friends~ Unless they've misbehaved~” Cupcake made a sound which Asgore assumed was probably a whimper, and finally started to settle down. “My apologies, dearie~ He tends to be very grumpy around people he doesn’t know.”

“It is fine. I still have all my fingers. I hope.”

“Ahuhuhuhu~ I know he’ll just adore you! Eventually~”

He chuckled. “So Muffet, may I ask why you chose ‘Cupcake’ for your pet?”

“Oh, well it’s not terribly original, is it? I confess I’m not exactly the most talented when it comes to naming things~”

Thunderous laughter burst forth from Asgore, as Muffet looked confused and slightly offended. He held up his hand as he tried to stop himself. “Oh, I am sorry Muffet, I did not mean to offend you.” He snickered. “Truthfully, I think it happens to be an absolutely wonderful name.”

Muffet giggled. “Very well then, you’re forgiven~ This time~” Winking on the last two syllables. “Now, shall we?”

\---

Asgore threw the stick again, this time even further, and Cupcake was bounding (or whatever the equivalent for monstrous pastries was) after it. He still tried to snap at Asgore’s fingers when bringing the stick back, but it was happening less each time. Maybe a couple weeks from now he would even be able to pet him!

“Ahuhuhu~ He usually doesn’t get exercise like this unless he finds a rabbit~” Muffet smiled from the bench. “Or a dog to play with~” She added as Cupcake started to play with a Husky.

Asgore smiled, and sat down beside her. “Not that I mind. My arm was starting to get a bit tired. I am not in the shape I was once in.”

“Ahuhuhu~ I wouldn’t agree with that~” Asgore felt his face get a bit flushed.

“Do you see that house up there?” She pointed up at a Victorian house on a hill that was overlooking the neighborhood. “I almost moved in there when we came to the surface. As it turns out gold pieces are worth a surprising amount to humans~”

“Is that so?” He studied the house. “It looks quite nice.”

“It would likely need a few cobwebs here and there, but that’s no trouble for me~”

“Why did you not move into the house?”

“I chose to put the money towards the bakery instead~ The house would have been lovely, but that was more important~”

“Oh? Why is that?”

"Well, the first reason is that you can't make money without spending it~"

Asgore nodded, when suddenly felt something wet on the back of his head. He instinctively looked up. _It doesn’t seem to be raining_ … His thoughts were interrupted by a hard shove, as a human walked past him, muttering curses under his breath.

“How terribly rude~” Muffet declared. “Are you alright, dearie?”

“I am fine.” Asgore touched the wet spot at the back of his head again. “Did that human just spit on me?”

“So what if I did?” The human must have heard their conversation, as he turned around to face them. “This park used to be a lot nicer before you monsters started stinking up the place.”

“I am sorry, did I give you some sort of cause for offense?”

“Just the fact you’re here, freakshow.”

“Sir, we do not wish to trouble you.” Asgore pleaded, holding out his hands. “Perhaps it would be prudent to introduce myself.” He forced himself to smile, and stood up. “My name is Asg-

“I don’t give a crap what your name is, you freakin’ animal.” The human spat out before closing the distance between them. “You monsters come into our city, acting like you own the damn place, scaring our wives, scaring our kids, and you think some pansy little how do you do is going to fix that? You freaks should have NEVER left the cave.”

Asgore felt his pulse racing. He hadn’t had an encounter like this since the times when monsters were first moving to the surface, and even then it had tapped into a place Asgore preferred not to go. “If we have frightened anyone, that was not our intention. Please, whatever grievance you have with my kind, we can discuss this.”

“Yes dearie~” Muffet glared at him as she stood up. “If you’d join us for tea, I’d be happy to forgive your rudeness~”

The man turned his attention towards Muffet, and began stomping towards her. “Rudeness? You think I’m rude? You haven’t even _seen_ rude yet. I thought I was looking at a freakshow before, but of course there just had to be a creepy crawly version of you mutants.”

“Ahuhuhu~ The proper term is spider, dearie. Now I just pity you for your poor education~”

“Oh, we got one who likes to run their mouth.” By this point he was inches away from her face. “Disgusting. I feel sick just looking at you.”

“That is enough, human.” Asgore warned, the human turning a deaf ear to him.

“Know what we do to spiders up here? Fry em’ with magnifying glasses. Stomp on em’. Pull their creepy little legs off.”

“How darling, you think your barbarism actually threatens me~” Muffet’s smile was sweet, but her words dripped menace. “Run home, now~” Suddenly, the man grabbed Muffet’s wrist.

“Wonder if I can do that to you? _Eight-legged_ _freak._ ”

“You will not, human!” Asgore bellowed. He started towards the human, his head lowered and a red glow in his eyes. Before he could reach out and grab the human, though, something in Muffet’s expression had changed. She had pulled out a teapot from her pet’s treat bag, and splashed the human in the face with a sticky purple liquid. As he cursed and stumbled backwards, Muffet conjured thick cables of spider’s web that stretched across two trees, the human caught on the middle cord. An orange glow emanated from his chest, and Muffet cackled.

_His SOUL… She isn’t actually going to…_

“Oh my, dearie~ Don’t you know when a lady invites you for tea, the proper form is to graciously accept? Certainly not to make such vulgar threats~”

“I’LL GIVE YOU THREATS YOU F- OWWW!” The human cried out in pain as spiders charged across the web, biting at his hands.

“Oh my, it seems you’re especially resistant to good manners~ Perhaps a snack will make you less cranky, dearie? Careful, they’re fresh out the oven so they’re extremely hot~” Before the human could even react, croissants flew at him like boomerangs, leaving red welts where they hit him. When they had subsided, he continued shouting curses at Muffet.

“Ahuhuhuhu~ Now, I’m afraid my pet’s already had dinner, but now it’s time for dessert~” With a whistle, Cupcake had immediately turned its attention away from the dogs it had been playing with, and fixed its glance on the human. With a snarl, it charged and leapt at the human, only missing him by inches.

“OH GOD! WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

“Now there’s an improved attitude~ An apology, for starters~” She smirked as she took a sip of the purple liquid herself.

“Okay! I’m sorry! I’m real sorry, Miss...”

“Dearie, we’re not friends. Miss is just fine~”

“Okay, okay miss! I’m sorry! Things have just changed so much since you all started coming, and it’s like I don’t even know which way is up.”

She chuckled as Cupcake snapped at him again. “And that’s your problem to figure out dearie, not mine~” With a wave of her hand, Cupcake calmed down and returned to her side. “So dearie, now that you’ve learned a valuable lesson, I’m going to spare you~”

“You are?! Oh thank you, thank you so much…” At this point the man was sobbing.

“No need for tears dearie~ The next time you think of being needlessly cruel to a spider, simply because you think it’s beneath you, or a monster, simply because we’re here~” She winked. “Just remember what the only reason you’re still here is~”

The man nodded frantically, and with a wave of her hand, the web retracted and he hit the ground with a thud. Breathing heavily as the glow slowly faded from his chest, he blabbered out one last “thank you” before running.

She took a deep breath, and turned to smile at Asgore. “I appreciate you tried to stop him, dearie, but as you can see I’m quite capable myself~ Still, it’s very sweet you would have intervened~”

Asgore took a moment to compose himself. “Of course! Though you handled him quite well yourself.”

“And that’s why you’re such a perfect gentleman~” She gave a forced smile.

“Is everything alright, Muffet?” He approached her.

“Of course dearie~ We’re okay, aren’t we?” Her voice cracked on the last statement.

“Muffet?”

There was a pause before she continued. “The last… thing, that he called me.” Her breath was getting heavier. “It wasn’t the first time it happened. I’ve told you we spiders aren’t very popular here on the surface, right dearie?”

Asgore nodded, and moved closer.

“They fear monsters, but they _loathe_ us. We’re unpleasant for them to look at, so it’s fine to hate and kill us. Spiders are just bugs, after all.” She paused to gather herself. “I wanted my bakery to be a place for them on the surface, but not three days after my bakery opened, I found my employees squashed, and all the windows smashed.”

She sniffled, and Asgore protectively wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “All across the menu, they had written that… thing. It wasn’t the only time, either. It happened twice more, until Undyne started watching over my bakery.” She smiled sadly. “Things got better... so many humans are still so needlessly cruel to spiders, but some humans changed. Enough for me to even get my second location.” She took a deep breath, her voice evening out. “Tonight just reminded me that it’s not over~”

Asgore bowed his head. “No, perhaps not. As long as your people have you, though, things will continue to get better. They’re fortunate to have someone so dedicated to helping them, and sometimes, it takes a special effort to give people hope. For what it is worth, I think that you have done an excellent job of that.”

She smiled, and hugged Asgore tightly. “You would certainly know best, dearie~” When she finally broke from the embrace, she whistled to call Cupcake back over to her. “I think I’d like to go back now~ Cupcake’s had plenty of exercise tonight~” Asgore nodded as she put the leash back on him. Together, they made their way to the park’s entrance.


	5. Hail to the King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore faces his past, and sees how painful confronting it can be. Sometimes even more painful than sharing an enclosed space with a sweaty barn animal.

“Now remember children, make sure you bring your gloves with you tomorrow, as we will continue working on your herb gardens tomorrow!” Asgore announced as the bell rang. It had been a great day to teach an outdoor class, but he was still relieved that the day was over. His sleep had been troubled of late, and he was looking forward to going home and relaxing. _A nice chamomile would be perfect, and I can finally start watching that series Alphys recommended!_

As he finished putting his tools away, he heard a horn honking. Turning to the parking lot, he saw a large pickup truck, and suddenly remembered. _Oh. Another date tonight._

He felt annoyed with himself at his lack of enthusiasm. He had been wanting to find someone for a while now, but every time he went on a date he was second-guessing if he even wanted to be there. _These outings are supposed to be pleasant experiences. What is the matter with me that I am not enjoying myself?_ Still, he took a deep breath, and gathered himself. Walking a bit straighter, he headed towards the truck. A horse-headed figure was leaning out the driver’s side window, flexing his bicep in a decidedly gratuitous manner. A sly smile passed his lips as Asgore approached, and he motioned for him to enter on the passenger side.

As Asgore climbed into the truck, any pleasure he felt at being in a vehicle that could actually fit him in vanished he was hit by a wall of odor. It smelled like someone had sprayed water over an entire barnyard for five days straight, and then a group of monsters with body odor issues had decided to build a gym there. Steeling himself, he buckled himself in and turned to greet his date.

“Howdy! You must be Aaron. I am Asgore, but I trust you knew that already.”

“Hey yourself. Who doesn’t know you?” He said with a wink. Almost immediately, he started looking Asgore up and down. “Rough day? Your muscles look a bit deflated there.” He smirked.

 _Right. The picture._ “You could say that. I admit the picture may have been a touch old.” He smiled politely. Aaron just winked again, and immediately started feeling Asgore’s arms. “Excuse me, but I’m not sure what-“

“Still pretty solid. Not as solid as me though.” He flexed his other arm to demonstrate. “That’s okay though, I think we’re going to have a good time. I know a really good coffee shop around here. You’ll like it.”

He wanted to tell him that he preferred tea, but he didn’t want to seem impolite, and got the feeling his suggestion would be falling on deaf ears anyway. Desperately wanting some fresh air now that they were on the road, and noticing just how hot it was in the truck, Asgore started to roll down the window.

“Hey buddy, let’s keep that rolled up.” He said with yet another wink. _This is starting to get a little bit ridiculous._ “Gotta keep the windows closed in here to work up a good sweat. Helps you get more definition, see?” Aaron flexed with both his arms this time, as Asgore heard a loud crash.

“What in earth was that?!”

“Think just a parking meter. It’s okay though. I’m a good enough driver I can take my hands off the wheel.”

“Of course you can…” Asgore tried his best to take shallow breaths as he searching desperately out the window for any coffee shop. After what seemed like hours, Aaron finally pulled into the parking lot, and slapped Asgore’s arm.

“Hey, we’re here now.” His smile was starting to become very unsettling. “I’ll get us a couple of mocha lattes. Non-fat though, we got some muscles to maintain. Come on.” Asgore didn’t even try to argue about Aaron deciding his order for him, he just threw the door open and took a deep breath of fresh air. It felt even better than the breath he had taken when he first came to the surface.

Gathering himself, he resolved that like before, he was going to try to make the most of this date. He smiled at Aaron, who held the door open for him. As the two stood in line, he decided to make some conversation. “So tell me, what is it that you are doing here on the surface?”

“I’m a personal trainer.” Aaron winked. “Not everyone can handle what I’m doing for them though. It’s pretty intense.”

“I am certain that you run a very good program.”

“Thanks.” Aaron replied with another wink. “Hey, wanna grab me some of those napkins there?”

“Um… certainly.” Asgore was a bit confused by the request, but grabbed a few from the dispenser for Aaron.

“Heh, thanks. Worked up a really good sweat in there,” he explained as he used them to wipe off his chest and his abs. When he was finished, he casually tossed the soaked napkins at Asgore… and winked.

Touching his face where the wet napkins had his him, his cheek felt damp to the touch, and it didn’t take long before the smell started to hit him. Gritting his teeth, he decided that there would be no more making the most of this. _Sorry Frisk, I cannot stay determined in all circumstances._ “Excuse me for a moment Aaron, I just need to use the facilities.” Aaron nodded and smiled, and as soon as he was not looking, Asgore bolted for the exit. Noticing the bus stop across the street, he checked for traffic and immediately ran across. Feeling satisfied, he sat on the bench and let out a sigh of relief. A few moments later, however, the peace was shattered by a familiar voice.

“Asgore! My friend!” He turned to look at Papyrus, who was waving at him as he got out of his police car.

“Howdy Papyrus! What brings you around here?” He asked with a grin. Perhaps Papyrus might like to hear the story of the date he just had…

“Looking out for wrongdoers! This is my new patrol, or beat, as the humans call it. They sure are weird!” Papyrus’ smile softened as he continued. “So actually, this is kind of awkward…”

“What is it?”

“Well, as it turns out, you’re the wrongdoer!” Papyrus announced with a sad expression.

Asgore looked shocked. “I am the wrongdoer? But I do not understand.”

Papyrus pointed across the street. “Well, you didn’t cross the corner to get here. That means you jaywalked. And since the chief told me I need to stop giving puzzles to everyone, I need to write you a ticket!”

Frustration spread across Asgore’s face. “You are giving me a ticket?”

“Sorry, but you were jaywalking, and on the surface, no one is above the rules. Not even a former king!” Papyrus explained as he scribbled on his pad.

“I am sorry, but today has not been an especially good day. Is there any way you might go easier on me?” He pleaded.

“I’m afraid not, fuzzy pushover! The chief said if I meet my ticket quota this month, he’ll let me drive the SWAT van. That would make my coworkers like me for sure!” He did his best approximation of a raised eyebrow. “Really, this is the best possible thing that could happen. You’re helping me make new friends, and getting this ticket from me will hopefully make it easier for you to get over me. It’s perfect! Nyeh heh heh heh!”

“Papyrus, I am being honest when I say I do not need to get over you.”

“Oh no… you still have hope that we can get together?”

“No! I mean, what I’m trying to say-”

Papyrus raised a hand to cut off his stammering. “Say no more! Because I’m such a good friend, I’m going to make the cost of this ticket double. That way you’ll be angry at me for a little while so you can move on, and then we can still be friends because you realized this is best for everyone. More generosity from the great Papyrus!”

Asgore just lowered his head in defeat and accepted the ticket with no further argument. The sooner this day was over, the better.

\---

“Oh, here dearie~” Muffet handed Asgore a small metal cylinder. He was a bit confused as to what he was supposed to do with it. “It keeps tea warm when you’re out~ It’s not nearly as nice as a proper teacup, but it’s quite useful~ Do you like it?”

“It sounds like a wonderful idea, but I am not certain how I am supposed to open this.”

“Like this dearie~” Muffet took the container back for a moment and twisted it, presenting it to Asgore.

“Oh, thank you! This would be perfect the next time we go to the park.” He took a sip of from the container, and the taste of peppermint filled his mouth. It really was quite warm.

“Wonderful~ It’s the least I could do for a good friend~” Muffet smiled and winked, and Asgore decided he much preferred hers to Aaron’s. “And such a valued customer, too~”

“It is nothing. The children love your cupcakes. It appears they enjoy Mondays much more when you bring treats for them.” He chuckled.

“Then it’s a good arrangement for everyone~ You get happy, well-behaved, students, and I get more business~”

“On that subject, when was your new location going to open? I should like to see it.”

“Not for a few months yet, dearie~ The condition it’s in is simply dreadful, so I’ll have to do a lot with it before I open~ It has its benefits, though~ Lots of storage space, and a very big basement, which is quite helpful in case of employee discipline issues~ Ahuhuhuhu~” She giggled, and Asgore found himself confused yet again. _Why would a basement be helpful with troublesome employees?_

“What exactly will you need to do?” Asgore asked.

“It’ll need to be properly cleaned and painted, for starters~ Then I can start moving the equipment in, and finally decorate~” She chirped. “It’ll be quite similar to here, but I’d love to add just a touch more~” She tilted her head. “Perhaps maybe some flowers?”

“Oh! You would like me to help you decorate?”

“When it’s time, of course, dearie~ While you’ve told me you're quite the gardener, I’ve never actually seen anything you’ve grown~” She smiled. “I’m certain it would make a lovely addition~”

“It would be my pleasure!” Asgore beamed. He was already thinking about what kind of flowers would work best with the purple. Perhaps some tulips? Roses were always a classic choice as well.

While he thought it over, the door jingled as some customers came in. Muffet excused herself as she tended to them. Once their order was taken, he suddenly felt himself tense up as he heard a man’s voice: “Oh wow, it’s King Asgore!”

“Oh yes~ He’s one of my most loyal customers~ Ahuhuhu~” Muffet giggled.

“King Asgore?” A woman’s voice now. He turned over to look at two bunnies who looked completely starstruck.

He smiled. “Well, howdy! I’m afraid I’m no longer king, but it is nice to meet you.”

“Don’t say that!” The bunny man exclaimed. “You’ll always be our king.”

“Always!” the bunny woman added. _There it is again…_ He found himself feeling ill at ease. “I wish you were still running things. This human government with its city council argues so much, it’s a wonder they get anything done.”

“That’s right!” The bunny man chimed in. “Councilor Temmie can hardly get a word in! Even if it’s usually just ‘hOI! Im temmie.’”

“Please,” he forced a smile, “That was all in the past. We are on the surface now.”

“Oh and he’s so modest, too.” The bunny woman sighed as she grabbed their order. “Just for old times’ sake, here’s a Hail King Asgore!”

“Hail King Asgore!” Her partner repeated. Asgore just kept smiling that same nervous smile, and waved as they left the shop. When Muffet returned to their table, she wore a concerned look on her face.

“Asgore dearie, may I ask you something?”

“Why, of course. What is it?”

“Why does it bother you so much when you’re referred to as king? I remember you did not seem very comfortable when I brought it up myself~”

He stiffened. “Well, because it is no longer my title.”

“We all know you’re technically no longer the king~ That doesn’t change how important your reign was to so many monsters, though~ When we all thought we were stuck down in the underground forever, you made us think maybe we wouldn’t be one day~” She smiled. “You gave us hope~”

“That… that is how most people would see me.” Asgore bowed his head. “I do not know that they are justified.”

“Why wouldn’t they be, dearie?”

“Because I am not that person anymore. I am just a simple groundskeeper. I have not continued to be any sort of great hero. Monsters have come to the surface, and are doing fine without me.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “I do not think I was that person even when I was king.”

Muffet placed a hand on Asgore’s shoulder, seeming to sense just how much he was troubled by this. “I don’t understand what you mean~”

“It is not…” Asgore turned to look at her. Her usually jovial expression was one of concern. Usually, he had difficulty talking about was troubling him in any more than the simplest terms. Still, her eyes pleaded with him to trust her, and such a plea was difficult for him to ignore. He sighed deeply.

“You know the story, yes? Of the first human who fell, and… and…” Muffet nodded, and pulled her chair closer. “On that day, I lost almost everything. Asriel and Chara... my wife only gave birth to one but they were both my children. I felt so hopeless, and it was then I decided that I did not want one more monster in the underground to feel that way again. I would take my revenge on any human that ever fell into the underground again, free us all, and put an end to humanity so we could live on the surface in peace.” He took a deep breath. “In truth, it was never some noble pledge. It was simply some wounded fool lashing out. I did not think when I made my promise.”

Muffet looked for a moment like she wanted to say something, but just nodded. “Go on~”

“The next human fell, a child wearing a ribbon, holding a toy knife. Likely the only reason they fell was they were simply playing on the mountain, pretending to be an adventurer. I found them in the ruins… and struck them down.” He gritted his teeth. “At the time, it was so easy. I had been so convinced of the righteousness of my cause. I took their SOUL, when I noticed that Toriel… she had seen everything.” He tugged on his beard. “She tried so hard to deter me from my course, and when she couldn’t she was so disgusted with what I had done. She would not even listen to me. When she left, I looked at the child again, and I realized… there was nothing noble about this. I lost everything to become nothing more than a murderer.” He spat the last syllables out like they were poison. “I wanted to stop after that. I did not want to hurt any more people, but I remembered my promise to all monsters that I would set them free. I could not let my people down, but I was too much of a coward to go to the surface and finish the job. So I waited, and prayed another human would never fall. They always did.” He looked down at his feet. “King Asgore was never great. He was a murderer and a coward. Now, he is just pathetic.”

He exhaled.

Muffet took a moment before responding. “Asgore, dearie, have I told you about the time I met your child, Frisk?”

He raised his head somewhat. _Did everyone have a Frisk story?_ “You have not.”

“Oh my~ Well, I was holding one of my bake sales in Hotland, when this rude little child refused to buy anything~ They would not give so much as a single gold piece in support of spiders!” A puzzled look spread across Asgore’s face. What Muffet was describing seemed so out of character for Frisk. “Then, someone delivered a message for me by echo flower~ They told me about all the nasty things that humans do to spiders~ Then they told me that not only could we make it to the surface with their SOUL, but if I delivered it myself, they’d give me all the money I needed to get us past Snowdin to the surface! In style, no less~ All I had to do was kill the greedy human who loved to hurt us~”

“Are you saying you tried to kill Frisk?”

“I am~” She nodded “I really do apologize, I know that they are your child~”

Asgore chuckled despite himself. “It is just that I am certain all of us tried to kill Frisk at some point. I know I certainly did. Undyne did too.”

She giggled, and he found his mood lightening a little bit. “Ahuhuhu~ I am amazed the poor child spends so much time around us monsters~”

“Frisk is someone very special.” He smiled. “They can see the good in everyone.”

“So I would learn! At first, all I knew about them was that they were rude, hurt spiders, and that killing them would set us all free~ Killing them wasn’t simply a matter of teaching them manners, it was me doing what was best for all spiders underground. They deserved freedom and safety~” She grinned. “After wrapping them up in my web, trying to feed them to Cupcake, and them never trying to hurt me so much as once, I received a letter that told me not only had they not hurt any spiders, they were in fact an enthusiastic supporter of our bake sale in the ruins~”

“Well, I am definitely glad you got the letter in time.”

“Me too, dearie~ I might have done something horrible otherwise~” She rested a hand on Asgore’s shoulder once again. “Even if I had, though, it wouldn’t have been out of malice or cruelty. It would have been because I wanted to help and protect my people~” She tilted her head. “Do you think that makes me irredeemable?”

“No, of course not!” Asgore blurted, taken aback by the question.

“Then why do you think that makes _you_ irredeemable, dearie? Perhaps you did the wrong thing, but it still helped to set us free~ You were also burdened with the loss of your children and with the hopes and dreams of all of the underground. You’ve been through so much, and I don’t know any monster that could have done better in those circumstances, let alone one who could blame you for trying to do right by your kind~”

Asgore had come to sit up a bit straighter. “I won’t hear you speak badly of yourself today any more, either~ After everything that’s happened to you, it’s clear you’re a caring father, a loyal friend, and a perfect gentleman~” She winked. “That’s far more important than your past title, and whether you think you live up to it, dearie~”

He took a moment to take everything in. He knew he couldn’t ever be completely proud of his past, and that his feelings of guilt and loss weren’t something that was going to get solved in a single conversation, if ever. It’d take a great deal of reflection on his own part to get to where he needed to be. For now though, he at least felt like he didn’t have to be as down on himself as he was, and that he had met someone who saw past who he was in the stories.

Muffet pulled him into a hug, and he smiled. _Perhaps it is the multiple arms, but she gives the loveliest hugs…_ “Thank you.”

Suddenly, she walked back behind the counter, and reached into the display. “Here, dearie~ I don’t do this lightly, but here’s some of our spider cookies on the house~” She smiled at him as she filled a paper bag with a variety of different cookies. Asgore couldn’t help but think that she had a very pretty smile, especially the way her fangs stuck out just so.

He took the bag from her when she offered it, and the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

He didn’t think he’d be making any more use of his dating profile anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While the next chapter won't be the last, we're getting close to the end here! Thank you to everyone who's given their support to this fic so far. :)


	6. Filled With Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anime screenings are a good spot for a first date, right? Asgore takes more steps out from the King's shadow.

“Hello darlings, and Welcome to Late Night with Mettaton!” The sound of the studio audience cheering blared from the TV as Asgore hurried to finish fixing a glass of juice for Frisk. Frisk had gotten a 90 on their math test, so Asgore agreed to let them stay up late with Undyne, Alphys, and himself.

“I don’t understand why you even watch this crap.” Undyne grumbled as she pulled Alphys closer. “He just talks about himself for half an hour!”

“I wish you wouldn’t be so hard on Mettaton…” Alphys mumbled. “Don’t you like that series where they spend most of their time talking about how strong they are, anyways?”

“YEAH! BECAUSE THEY PUNCH EACH OTHER AFTER!”

“Normally, I would not,” Asgore handed Frisk the glass of juice before picking them up and setting them on his lap. “Tonight, though, there is an important segment I am hoping to see.” He looked up at the screen to see Mettaton showing footage of his one-robot fashion show where he wore all the outfits, frequently stopping to pose in front of the mirrors. “This is a small price to pay to get to this.”

“UGH. I really freakin’ hope so.” Undyne pouted. Rolling her eyes, Alphys started to scratch Undyne’s back, which seemed to get her to soften somewhat.

“Are you okay, Frisk? You are not getting too tired, I hope.”

Frisk shook their head and sipped their juice. Asgore smiled and tousled their hair. “I hope your mother does not mind that I am letting you stay up so late. Even if it is just a special treat.” Frisk shrugged and winked in response, and Asgore immediately understood.

After about fifteen more minutes of Mettaton performing sketch comedy about how talented and attractive he was, accompanied by Undyne’s griping, the show finally came to the moment Asgore was hoping for. “Now darlings, it’s time for Mettaton’s mailbag!” He produced a comically large mailbag seemingly from nowhere, and posed with it in various ways for three minutes. The studio audience clapped and cheered. “So our first letter comes from a friend named the Uncoupled Ungulate. Ahem. ‘Dear Mettaton. I believe I might wish to start going on dates with a very good friend of mine. What would be the best way to ask her?’” Mettaton smirked, and posed once more. “Well, U.U, darling, why not say it with one of my signature MTT brand cakes? They’re available in most grocery stores, and come with a lettering kit with any messaging you want!” A human woman in an elaborate gold dress came from the side stage, and began presenting a large cake in the shape of Mettaton’s face. “Now with 10% more sugar! Which still leaves enough for 40% gold, 35% glitter, an-“ Asgore shut off the TV. _This was a terrible idea._

“OH MY GOD. THANK YOU.” Undyne cried out in relief. Alphys narrowed her eyes and mumbled to herself. “Why did you even want to see that anyways? I don’t think that guy could date anyone that wasn’t a mirror.”

Thinking it couldn’t go any worse this way, Asgore decided it was time to let them know. “He was not very helpful, but as it so happens I am looking for help with something similar.”

Undyne grinned. “Sure! Especially if it’s beating someone up! It’s been a while since I’ve had to do that for anyone.”

“I’m afraid it’s not that. It actually has to do with dating.”

“Oh. Well what the hell’s the matter?! You have that great profile, you’re seeing people all the time, it’s only a matter of time.”

“I-I thought you were getting lots of messages? Law of averages, right?” Alphys added.

“Well, as you know, not all of these dates have been so successful. I have also found someone who is not on the website,” he smiled.

“No offence, but do you really want to date some loser who isn’t even caught up with what everyone else is doing?” Undyne sneered. “Everyone uses these sites nowadays!”

“She is not a loser!” Asgore retorted defensively. “She just happens to not use the site, and she is actually quite a remarkable woman.”

“Who is it?” Alphys asked? “Is it someone we know?”

“Muffet,” Frisk answered for Asgore.

“Wait, how did you know?” Asgore turned to look at Frisk.

They shrugged. “It was kind of obvious. You never ate that many donuts before.” Asgore looked down at their belly, but Frisk shook their head and patted his belly. “Not like that, dad.”

“Oh, her? Not bad at all!” Undyne grinned. “She’s a lot tougher than she looks, eh? Perfect for a softie like you.” Asgore grunted as Undyne slugged his arm.

“She’s pretty cute…” Alphys said with a slight blush, which earned a look from Undyne. “Y-you’re still my OTP, though!” She reassured her. Undyne hugged her close and planted a smooch on her head.

“But yes, I am wondering what the best way to approach her would be. I would feel terribly awkward asking Torie, and the two of you are such a wonderful couple. I assume you would know the best way to approach a lady nowadays.”

“Easy!” Undyne said with a wave of her hand. “Send someone to give her a letter, have them go on the date for you, then when you actually arrive, you throw the other girl in a garbage can and confess your feelings!”

Asgore chuckled. “That is a very good joke, Undyne. But I truly am curious as to how to best approach the situation.”

“What joke?”

“I-it’s true… that’s actually how it happened… heh.” Alphys smiled nervously. Frisk nodded as if to confirm the story.

“Oh. Well, I am not certain that she would enjoy being forced into a garbage can.”

Alphys was dumbfounded. “Y-you mean she doesn’t find piles of worthless garbage romantic? But y-you can find so many things there!”

“FINE! Since you OBVIOUSLY don’t want to do anything interesting, here’s what you do!” Undyne pounded the table. “Next anime night there’s a theatre showing the first four episodes of Mew Mew Kissy Cutie!”

“There is?!” Alphys interjected. “It’s not two, is it? Don’t even get me started on two…”

“Relax, nerd! It’s the original. Anyways, you invite her to that, because everyone likes anime, and if things go bad, Alphys and I are there if you need to bail! Just in case she turns out to be like that weird sweaty guy you told us about.”

Asgore thought it over for a moment. “I think this may actually work.”

“That’s great!” Alphys exclaimed. “When do you think you’ll go to ask her? We can be there to celebrate… or cheer you up… but I’m sure it’s going to be to celebrate!”

He smiled. “Thank you for your sort of confidence, Alphys. Perhaps Tuesday?”

“Cool! And hey, if she doesn’t see what a catch you are, she’s an idiot! Right Frisk?!” Undyne exclaimed. Frisk nodded enthusiastically. Asgore grinned, and opened his arms for a group hug, everyone enthusiastically joining in. He was filled with determination.

\---

Asgore kept one of his hands behind his back as he entered. A familiar human girl was at the counter. “uh, hi. Dearie. What do you want?”

“Howdy, miss! Is Muffet around somewhere?”

She rolled her eyes. “She’s kind of busy. You know she actually has to work, right?”

Asgore nodded. “I am aware. I promise this will not take very long.”

“Ugh. Well she’ll be out when she’s out, so are you going to buy something while you wait?”

Before Asgore could answer, Muffet came out from the back, carrying a tray full of cookies. He called out to get her attention. “Howdy, Muffet!”

Muffet immediately looked up. “Asgore! Just give me one moment dearie~ Hold this, won’t you?” It was more of a command to the human girl than an actual request, as she immediately shoved the hot tray into her hands. The girl shrieked and dropped the tray as Muffet came around the counter and hugged Asgore. “It’s so good to see you here today~ Usually I only see you on Fridays for tea and our walks in the park~”

“Hey, don’t mind me,” The girl grumbled as she ran her hands under cold water in the sink. “Just gonna die of third degree burns or something.”

“Don’t be so dramatic dearie~ There’s ice packs in the back~” Muffet replied before turning her attention back to Asgore.

Though he had rehearsed it, he still had a tight feeling in his chest. He knew he had come too far to back out now, though. “Um, yes. There was something I wanted to give you that could not wait until Friday. Something special!” With a flourish, he pulled the golden flowers out from behind his back.

“Oh! They’re absolutely lovely!” Muffet exclaimed as she brought them closer to smell. “They smell so wonderful too~ They’re such a nice contrast to the purple here too~” She carried on as she was back behind the counter, looking for a container to put them in.

“These are my very favorite flowers. It has always been very important for me to have at least some of them around. I had hoped that they might make you happy as well.” He smiled at her.

“Well, they absolutely have~” She chirped as she positioned them on the counter.

_Now here is the difficult part_. “There was also something that I wanted to ask you.” He tugged on his collar.

She tilted her head. “What is it, dearie?”

“Um… do you know what anime is?”

She blinked. “Not the slightest idea~”

“Oh! Well, they are these human stories. They usually involve magical princesses, gigantic robots, sad men with long hair, women with cat ears… I mean I’m not certain I understand it myself. It’s quite bizarre to tell the truth.” _For goodness’ sake, STOP!_ “What I do know about it, though, is that it’s very enjoyable to watch in good company, and there is a theater showing some on Thursday night. Would you be interested in going to see it with me?” He gulped. “On a date?”

“Of course, dearie!” She exclaimed. “I don’t know if it’ll quite be my cup of tea, but as you said, the company will be good~”

Asgore tried not to look too surprised by her response. “Wonderful! May I come here to pick you up at 6:30?”

“Of course dearie~ Just remember you have reputation for punctuality to maintain~” She winked.

Asgore nodded and grinned as he started to the door. “I shall see you on Thursday, then. Enjoy the rest of your evening!”

“You too dearie~”

When he was finally outside, he looked to see Alphys and Undyne across the road. He tried to keep his expression concealed as he walked to the corner. The last thing he wanted was another ticket.

“Well?!” Undyne immediately pressed, as Asgore crossed the road. Asgore just broke into a smile, before feeling a hard punch to his chest. “I KNEW IT! I knew she was going to say yes! Fuhuhuhu!” She cackled before pulling Asgore into one of her signature uncomfortably tight hugs.

Alphys smiled and gave him a much softer hug. “I-i can ship it.”

Asgore nodded. “I do not understand anything you just said, but thank you, Alphys. You as well, Undyne.”

“Don’t mention it, you fuzzy pushover! Heh, I might have to stop calling you pushover at this rate.”

“H-hey, how about we go to Grillby’s to celebrate?”

“Great idea! Asgore’s treat!” Undyne declared as she hoisted Alphys up on her shoulders.

“But it is always my treat.” Asgore commented.

“Yeah, just like I said!”

\---

Asgore checked his phone once he was outside of the bakery, and noticed he was a couple of minutes early, as usual. He tried not to think too much about his previous dates, which had decidedly not gone well. He hoped that at least _one_ would be successful.

Checking himself in the window, he made sure he looked okay. Wanting to be as presentable as he could be, he had trimmed his beard, tied his hair back in a braid, and wore his favorite pink dress shirt. He hoped he looked “nice, but not weird nice” as Undyne had described it.

“Good evening dearie~” He turned around to see Muffet, who looked absolutely stunning in her frilly red and black dress, her hair tied up into a messy bun with a bow. He suspected he might have been a bit too taken with her, as eventually she waved a hand in front of his face.

“H-howdy Muffet! You look very pretty.”  
  
“Why thank you dearie!” She chirped with a warm smile. “I wanted to look my best for tonight~ So then, shall we?” She stuck out three of her arms towards him. Asgore moved to shake her hands, when suddenly he realized that was probably not what she was intending. She giggled as he corrected himself, and took her arms in his.

“We shall.” The first block was unusually silent for them, and Asgore couldn’t figure out why. He always had such an easy time talking to Muffet, but for some reason tonight was that much more difficult. It didn’t help that he kept getting distracted by the way her arms felt in his.

He was relieved when Muffet finally spoke. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you yesterday, but that rude man from the park came by~ He was very apologetic, and even purchased some spider muffins! Ahuhuhu~”

“Really? That is great to hear! I hope that he was not too badly frightened from the other day.”

Muffet immediately held a finger to Asgore’s lips. “Hush, dearie~ He was frightened just enough to learn his lesson~ No one needs to be hurt, but some people are just inconsiderate and can do with a good scare~”

“You have a good point Muffet. Maybe I should frighten humans more often. I might even be able to get a taxi to stop for me!”

“Ahuhuhu~ That’s the spirit, dearie!”

He chuckled. “I don’t actually know that I could be frightening on a consistent basis. Do you know that some of my friends have nicknamed me the fuzzy pushover?”

“Ahuhuhu~ Have they really?”

He nodded. “It is not inaccurate, though. I cannot tell you how much of Undyne’s cooking I have forced myself to eat.”

“Well dearie, is that truly being a pushover? Or are you just strong enough to suffer for the sake of your friends?”

“I did not think of it that way. Though to be fair, you have not been pulled into a cooking lesson with Undyne.”

“She seems to be quite the capable woman~ Is she really that awful a cook?”

“Oh, she truly is. One time she baked a cake that tasted the exact opposite of how your cakes taste. And your cakes are nearly as lovely as you are. I-I mean your cakes are just delicious. Yes, that is what I meant.” He let out a nervous laugh and tugged at the collar of his shirt.

“Ahuhuhu~ You know, I wasn’t sure exactly what you would be like when I finally got to meet you~ Thankfully, you’re just as sweet as I imagined~”

“Well, you make it difficult not to be.” He was relieved when Muffet giggled at his horrendously corny comment, and once again Asgore found himself tongue-tied. _Why does this continue happening? I just want things to go well tonight. I want-_

It hit him. The moment when you try, and try, and something comes along to make you care… this was it. Before he had just been going on dates out of a sense of obligation, but now, he actually cared about what was happening.

“Is everything alright, dearie?”

“Of course it is! What makes you think it is not?”

“Because you’re squeezing my arms very tightly~ Usually I’m the one trying to stop people from escaping~”

“Forgive me.” Asgore relaxed his arm as Muffet giggled.

“It’s fine dearie~ You don’t need to worry so much, though~” Asgore turned his head and gave her an inquisitive look. “If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be~” She smiled. “If I found you horrid to be around, I would have let you play with Cupcake downstairs~ Ahuhuhu~”  
  
Asgore grinned. “I am certain he would find me far too tough to be an enjoyable meal.”

“You would be surprised, dearie~ Ahuhuhu~”

Before too long, they arrived at the theater. Just as they had promised, Undyne and Alphys were there. Undyne nodded to him, and Asgore gave her a thumbs up.

“What was that, dearie?” Muffet asked.

“Oh, I just saw someone that I recognized. It is nothing we need to be distracted by.”

“In that case I’ll trust your judgment~” She winked. As they made their way into the lobby, Asgore bought snacks and drinks for them, and found two seats in the middle rows, one ahead of where Alphys and Undyne were sitting. Before much longer, the lights dimmed and the first episode started. It was unusual to watch anime in a movie theatre; he had been so used to watching it with a running commentary from Alphys and Undyne, and now it was only reduced to a few whispers from behind him. At one point it escalated to Undyne threatening to murder someone who tried to shush her, but aside from that it was surprisingly quiet.

Asgore suddenly felt something against him, and turned to find Muffet leaning in to him. While he felt a tension growing in his chest, he kept what Muffet had said front and centre in his mind: she’s here because she wants to be. Buoyed by that thought, he put his arm around her shoulder. Almost instantly, Muffet cuddled up closer to him, a contented sigh escaping her lips. The scent of vanilla and cobwebs began to fill Asgore’s nostrils. It was an odd combination to be sure, but that wasn’t nearly as important as the fact that it was hers.

“Asgore, dear?” Muffet whispered.

“Um… yes?”

“Is the cat human controlling the minds of the other humans she kisses?”

He suddenly heard a muffled voice to his left, and looked to see the commotion. Alphys must have overheard, as Undyne had clasped a hand on her mouth and was desperately trying to shoosh her. “It appears that she is, yes.”

“What a useful power! Even if it doesn’t make any sort of sense~”

“You would want to control others’ minds?”

“Of course! It would make it much easier to bring in human children for my new recipe~” She nudged him. “Just kidding~”

Asgore suppressed a chuckle, and gave her a gentle squeeze which she melted into. This date was going better than he had hoped, and certainly far better than any of his previous dates. He even thought about going in for a nose-nuzzle, but stopped himself. _Not on the first date._

For a while, Asgore just quietly watched and enjoyed Muffet’s presence next to him. As the fourth and final episode of the screening moved towards the end, he heard gentle snoring. He looked down to see that Muffet had completely fallen asleep. Moving carefully so as not to wake her, he picked her up and slowly made his way to the exit, hoping to get out before the crowds started exiting.

The night air was pleasantly warm as Asgore cradled his date in his arms. The moon and the stars were out too; he usually wasn’t out late enough to see them unless he was coming home from anime night. He thought it would make for a pleasant walk to the… bakery? He had no idea where Muffet actually lived, so he felt that the bakery would be the safest place to drop her off if nothing else. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he felt something stirring in his arms.

“Mmmmm…. Asgore?”

“Yes, Muffet?”

“…You’re carrying me, dearie?”

He smiled. “You had fallen asleep during the animes, so I felt the proper thing to do would be to carry you home. Then I realized I did not actually know where you live. So I thought I would bring you to the bakery because that is the only thing I could think of.”

She giggled. “Ahuhuhuhu~ Well dearie, it was a very good guess. It so happens that my home is in the basement of the bakery~”

“Oh! Well in that case it appears I have made the correct choice.” He responded somewhat awkwardly. “Um, if you prefer, I can put you down so you can walk.”  
  
She just leaned her head against Asgore’s chest, draped a set of arms around his neck, and yawned. The tight feeling in his chest returned yet again. “I am fine if you would like to keep carrying me, dearie. These shoes are dreadful for taking long walks in~” She pointed to her high heels with one of her hands.

Asgore smiled. “Then I will continue.” Aside from his anxiety, it was certainly no burden; Muffet was hardly much weight to carry, and if he was being honest with himself, he quite liked the feeling of holding her. When he occasionally looked down at her, Asgore saw how even half-lidded, Muffet’s many eyes sparkled like sapphires in the moonlight. _Goodness, she truly is breathtaking…_

Little conversation passed between them on the way to her home; not only was Muffet still quite sleepy, but it was the kind of night best enjoyed quietly. The moon and stars caught the buildings in just the right way, and the only sound was the white noise of the occasional passing car. It was peaceful, and while there were certainly still people up and about in the city, it still felt like just the two of them. He couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed as the bakery came into sight.

“Just around the back if you please~” She murmured as they approached the shop. Asgore nodded and made his way into the alley, stopping at a set of cellar doors.

“Is this it?”

“Mmmhmm~” Muffet yawned again as Asgore gently set her down. “I promise I shall be more awake the next time, dearie.”

“Next time?” Asgore’s ears perked up. “You mean you would like to do this again?”  
  
“Of course I would. I had the loveliest time with you. The times I was awake, at least. Ahuhuhuhu~”she chuckled, winking two of her eyes.  
  
“I had a wonderful time too, Muffet. I would be glad to go on another date!”  
  
“Then it’s settled~” Muffet chimed, hopping up to plant a kiss on Asgore’s cheek. He was thankful it was dark, because there was no way his fur was going to cover that kind of blush. “Goodnight, dearie~”

“Good night.” Asgore spoke softly, waving as Muffet descended to the cellar on a strand of web. He couldn’t help grinning to himself as he wandered back out onto the street. Whatever happened after the next date, he at least knew he wasn’t a hopeless case when it came to romance.

Checking his phone, it was 1:30 in the morning. Well past when the busses were running on a Thursday, and he’d be unlikely to fit in any cab willing to stop for a monster. Rather than feeling frustrated though, Asgore felt inspired. He wasn’t going to make it across the city to get any meaningful sleep before work anyways, and if he hurried he might be able to get there before classes…

\---

Asgore could hardly keep his eyes open as the sun broke through the clouds. His dress clothes were covered in twigs and grass stains, but he did not care. There were far more important things than the condition of his clothing. For about fifteen minutes, he could not stop grinning as he surveyed his handiwork. It was perfect, or as close to perfect as it could possibly get.

“Asgore?” He heard a familiar voice ask? “What are you doing here so early? Usually I am the first to arrive at school.” Toriel commented. Frisk and Sans walked with her.

“Howdy, everyone!” Asgore beamed as he pulled Frisk into a hug. “I admit I am a bit surprised to see you here, Sans.”

He shrugged. “just dropping off T and the kid. not that they mind if i come in to work late. tibia honest, i’m the best worker they have.” A rimshot sounded, and Asgore groaned. _What did Sans even do? And how could it be possibly that he was the best at it?_

“You look awful, Asgore.” She said as she looked him up and down. “It looks as though you have not slept all night.”

Asgore shook his head. “I did not. I decided to finish instead. You could say I felt-”

“Determined.” Frisk finished with a smirk.

“Finish? You mean…” Toriel gasped as the realization suddenly hit her, and she looked across the hedges surrounding the school. Somehow, Asgore had managed to sculpt a grand mural using the hedges. Several important scenes from monster history were depicted: The banishment of the monsters, the first child, the deaths of Chara and Asriel, the gathering of the human souls, the arrival of Frisk, and the destruction of the barrier.

“heh. pretty cool. nice one, asgore.” Sans held out his fist. After Asgore looked confused for a moment, he grabbed Asgore’s hand, and bumped it.

“This is what you have been working on for so long?” Toriel asked.

Asgore nodded. “So many monsters still talk about my accomplishments when I was king. I felt I should have some to my name as a man.” He picked up Frisk and put them on top his shoulders.

“Well, it is certainly quite an accomplishment. Congratulations!” Toriel smiled at Asgore as she rested her hands on Sans’ shoulders. His grin seemed to get ever so slightly wider as he fell back into her touch. “Frisk, what do you think?”

Frisk took a moment. “Perfect.”

Asgore smiled in spite of his absolute exhaustion, savoring the sensation of the sun’s first rays hitting him. What he had done would probably never be retold in a story or legend, but at the very least, it was not the King’s accomplishment.

It was Asgore’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So only the epilogue is left! Barring unforeseen circumstances, I'll have that one up tomorrow. For now, enjoy! <3


	7. Happy Birthday! (An Epilogue)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore helps a special someone celebrate her birthday.

Monsters didn’t ever celebrate birthdays when they were underground. Part of it was the logistics of timekeeping when you never saw the sun, and part of it was the way they aged. When you stopped aging when your parents passed, and only resumed aging if you had living children, counting years didn’t seem like a terribly accurate way to figure out how old someone was. Once they were on the surface, though, many monsters just picked a day at random to count as their “birthday”, mostly because they liked the idea of gifts and time spent with friends and loved ones.

Asgore made absolutely sure he remembered the date, November 8.

While the planters on Asgore’s balcony garden had mostly been moved inside, there were a few he still kept outside. Fall was hardly the best growing season for flowers, but as Frisk helped him discover, there were still some very good possibilities. As soon as he found out about red spider lilies, he knew it was the perfect choice. With a bit of help, Frisk cut the stems just the way Asgore taught them.

“Thank you, child! I will be certain to tell her how much you helped with this.”

Frisk smiled, and hugged Asgore. They broke from the hug rather suddenly, though, and started pointing to the clock. _Noon already?!_ Asgore hurriedly put Frisk up on their shoulders, grabbed the flowers, and immediately bolted out of the apartment to the bus stop. He hadn’t been late for a date ever before, and he certainly had no intention of starting now.

He arrived at the bus stop at just it was arriving, and was panting as he brought Frisk in. A few stops later, he hugged Frisk as they got off to meet Sans at their stop. He was fairly certain he was in the clear, and breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps he wouldn’t be that late after all...

Getting off at his stop, he looked both ways for vehicles and overzealous skeletons, and dashed across the street, entering a familiar bakery. Inside was Muffet, doing up a purple wool coat.

“Oh, dearie, it looks like you’re about a minute late~ You know what happens to supposed gentlemen who are late, don’t you?”

Asgore grinned sheepishly. “I am terribly sorry. Might this go some way to making up for my rudeness?” She clasped two of her hands together as he handed her the bouquet of flowers.

“Oh! Well it’s a very good start~” She smiled as she went to position them alongside the golden flowers that had found a permanent place at the counter.

“They are red spider lillies. I hope that this was not too obvious a choice.”

“Not at all~” She chirped as she flitted back to him. “I simply adore whatever you grow for me~” Standing on her tip toes, she planted a kiss on Asgore’s cheek. “Now, I hope you haven’t forgotten anything else…”

Asgore pulled her into a hug. “Happy Birthday, Muffet!”

“That’s better~” Muffet stood on her toes again to give Asgore another kiss.

He grinned at her. “So, for today, I thought that I would take you to the antique shop you love to go to. I know you have wanted me to visit it with you for some time, and I felt it would be best for you to pick out your own present. I was worried that I would pick something you already had, or that would not fit in your home.”  
  
“Now your lateness is fully forgiven~” She chimed. “Shall we, dearie?”

Asgore nodded, and took one of her hands in his.

\---

Asgore coughed a bit as he entered the antique store. It seemed it had been a while since it had been dusted. Wooden desks and tables, brass lamps, and hand-stitched upholstery covered the shop from wall to wall, with only narrow paths to walk through. The shopkeeper, an older human with wiry grey hair and thick glasses, turned to greet him.

“Well hello there, sir! Welcome to Antique Treasures! Please feel free to take your time, and we have even more upsta-“

As Muffet stepped out from behind Asgore, he couldn’t help but notice the shopkeeper tense up and turn a little bit red. “Oh. Muffet. So nice to see you again. Is the gentleman your friend?”

“More than that, dearie~” She replied with a smile that seemed a little bit _too_ wide.

Asgore looked a bit puzzled. “Do you know each other?” He asked.

“Oh, Reginald’s seen me here a few times~ I’m one of his favorite regulars~ Ahuhuhuhu~”

A thin smile passed Reginald’s lips. “Of course.” He said through clenched teeth. “You didn’t bring your pet with you today?”

“Of course not, dearie~ He seemed to give you a terrible fright last time~ Ahuhuhu~” She rested a hand on Asgore’s forearm. “It’s just the two of us today~”

“All right then. I will leave you to it,” the human grumbled as he made his way to the back.

“That human seemed somewhat nervous to see you.” Asgore noted as he scratched his head.

Muffet giggled. “Ahuhuhu~ Reginald thinks he’s quite clever, and doesn’t like it when someone who actually is visits his store~” She tilted her head. “I happen to be very clever~”

“So what is it that we are looking for?” Asgore asked as he carefully made his way through the tightly packed antiques. He felt like a bull in a china shop. Or an ungulate in a furniture store.

“Nothing in particular dearie~ Though I must say I could use a new desk for the office~ They simply don’t make them like they used to~”

Carefully squeezing past a set of lamps, Asgore took a good look at an ornate wooden desk, elaborate carving all around its legs and edges. He motioned Muffet over to him. “What about this one?”

Coming closer, she took a look at the desk for a few moments, and then burst into laughter. Asgore looked dumbfounded. “Oh dearie~ Ahuhuhu~ I’m sorry, I don’t mean to laugh at you but, the carving is so symmetrical! And if you look underneath, you can actually see _staples_ ~ Ahuhuhuhu~”

“Oh. Well, I simply could not see from my height.” Asgore replied meekly.

Muffet squeezed his arm. “It’s fine, dearie~ It’s just fortunate you have me here to stop you~ Let’s go upstairs~”

Carefully maneuvering back through the mess of old (and apparently fake) furniture, he was relieved when they made it up the stairs and it was not nearly as cramped. Still, it wasn’t as though the sore was set up for someone his size to easily make his way through. He looked back to see Muffet, but she had already made her way to the corner of the room, and seemed to be having an enthusiastic conversation with… a spider web? He was about to approach, when he saw a small spider scurrying on the ground that Muffet followed. “Come on, dearie~”

Asgore followed Muffet over to a desk that seemed to be made up entirely of a series of drawers. Muffet thanked her little friend enthusiastically, and set to work inspecting the desk. Not wanting to make a fool of himself again, Asgore just stood back and tried not to let his jaw drop too much when he say the price. After a few minutes, Muffet finally popped her head back up. “It’s genuine!” She hugged Asgore in celebration. “A machine doesn’t give you the same asymmetry in the carving~” Asgore just nodded, and pretended as though he understood. “Of course, I’ll have to have a good talk with Reginald~ It’s quite a find, but it’s not anywhere near what he wants for it~ Ahuhuhu~”

“Should I call Papyrus and see if he can help us move it? I am quite capable of carrying it, but it would be very difficult to carry this on the bus.”

“Absolutely dearie~” Muffet replied as they made their way down the stairs. Asgore was a bit surprised when Papyrus said he would only be ten minutes, but was grateful none the less.

As they approached the counter, a look of glee filled Muffet’s eyes as she rang the bell. “Oh Reginald~” She practically sang.

The wiry-haired human came out of the back, the same tense expression on his face. “Hello again, Muffet. Don’t tell me, you found another tea set you’re going to pay half price for?”

“Not today, I’m afraid I don’t have any more shelf space at home~ Ahuhuhu~” She gave him a smile that was half a grin, and half baring her fangs. “No, I was looking at that charming writing desk you have upstairs~ It’s just that the price-“

“Of course you have issues with the price…” the human grumbled. He jumped back as Muffet leaned in.

“Please don’t interrupt, dearie, it’s rude~ Now as I was saying, it’s such a lovely find, just not at that price~” She tilted her head and somehow managed to smile even wider. While normally Asgore might have found the display upsetting, there was always something that caught him about how relentless Muffet could be when she wanted to pursue something.

“Eight hundred and fifty is a perfectly reasonable price. For something to be so well preserved going back until the 1850s, I don’t know where you think you’ll find better.”

“Please, dearie~ I’ve seen my share of what’s washed up underground and this is early 1900s~ Ahuhuhu~ Not to mention the cuts in the table leg, which I’ll have to get properly restored…”

The wiry haired man slammed his hands on the table. “FINE! Since we obviously know how this goes, how-“ They were interrupted by a loud crash.

“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry!” Asgore blurted, as he looked at the lamp he had backed into, that was now scattered in several pieces across the floor. He just knew his size was going to get him in trouble somehow in this store.

“Well Muffet, before we negotiate any further, how about you find out how you’re going to compensate me for the thousand dollar lamp this oaf just knocked over?”

Asgore hurriedly dug through his pockets for the money. He was _really_ hoping today wouldn’t be that expensive. “I am so very sorry sir. I have been told I can be very clumsy in enclosed spaces. Here, I will-“ Muffet grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

“Just a moment, dearie~” She muttered as she took a close look at the fragments on the ground. She started giggling “Ahuhuhu~ Dearie, the only thing you need to replace here is the cheap imitation parts he used to put this fraud together~” Asgore sighed in relief. She took twenty dollars from Asgore’s hand, and gave it to Reginald, who at this point looked like steam was about to shoot from his ears. “That should cover it ~” She winked. “Now, five hundred for the desk sounds good?”

“…fine.” He grumbled as Asgore counted out the money carefully.

“Wonderful! I’ll go up to give it one final inspection~” She kissed Asgore on his cheek and practically skipped up the stairs, leaving the two of them alone.

“…so, you’re _with_ her.” Reginald sneered. “I’m sure you deserve each other.” Asgore didn’t dignify the comment with a response; he just lowered his head and glared at the man. He hurriedly took the money and bolted to the back room.

As Asgore was just about to head up, he heard the sound of a siren and a familiar voice booming over a loudspeaker. “Attention everyone! The great Papyrus is here on important police business! Return to whatever it was you were doing, and stay clear of the van!” As Papyrus came into the store, he greeted him with a hug.

“Howdy Papyrus! Thank you for helping us out with this desk. I did not anticipate this problem when I planned doing this for Muffet’s birthday.”

“I’m always here to get the job done right!” Papyrus boasted. “So, the two of you are buying furniture together? That’s wonderful! You must be just about ready to move in together! Just wait until Sans, Toriel, and Frisk hear about this!”

Asgore frantically gestured with his hands! “No! I am simply buying her a present for her home. There is no need for Toriel to hear about it.”

Papyrus nodded, and gave him a wink that somehow managed to have an indescribable sound. “Right, our little secret.” With that, the two of them made their way upstairs, where Muffet was waiting by the table. Though they had only met a few times, Papyrus still greeted her with a hug.

“Hi Muffet! Asgore tells me you need help moving this desk to a place that is definitely not your new place you are getting together!” He made the same sound as before when he winked at Muffet.

“That’s a very strange way to say it, dearie, but yes~”

“Then the great Papyrus will lend his assistance!” He checked out the desk for a moment. “Wowie! It looks really classy, and it should fit perfectly in the SWAT van!”

“Is that what that siren sound is?” Muffet inquired.

“I am not certain your chief would approve of you using the van for this.” Asgore noted. “I am also not certain that this would be a legal use of police property.”

Papyrus held out his hand in protest. “He gave me the keys, so _obviously_ he trusts me. Helping friends move definitely counts as ‘to serve,’ right?”

“That’s good enough for me, dearie~” Muffet smiled. With that, the three of them started to bring the desk downstairs, Papyrus barking orders as to the best way to fit it through the narrower parts. Papyrus could be a bit… off, at times, but when it came to figuring out how to get something done and going through with it, few people were as enthusiastic or precise as Papyrus was.

Without too much difficulty, they had made it outside.

“Excellent! Now turn it so the legs are facing up. No, the other way Asgore! Don’t be such a bonehead!” He nearly dropped his end as he held a hand to his mouth and his eyes bugged out of his head. “I DIDN’T JUST SAY THAT!”

Asgore chuckled. “It looks like there is a little bit of Sans in you after all. Perhaps the humerus.”

“OH MY GOD! I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHY I AGREED TO DO THIS!” Papyrus shrieked. Asgore and Muffet just shared a laugh as they loaded the desk into the van.

\---

The two came home from dinner to Asgore’s apartment. Feeling full and exhausted, he immediately took off his faux-leather coat and made his way to the couch. Only a few minutes later, Muffet was out of her winter outerwear and curled up next to him. He nuzzled her cheek and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. With his free hand, he turned on the television and started to scan through the channels, Muffet’s hand stopping him from going further at one point.

“Welcome to Late Night with Mettaton, my darlings! We have a very special musical guest lined up for you tonight… it’s me, of course!”

Asgore looked over at Muffet. “You are not being serious, are you?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? His show’s always so delightful, he’s so charming and funny, and I respect any businessperson who can take over entertainment like that~” She gently elbowed Asgore. “It’s my birthday, after all~ It’d be terribly rude of you if I didn’t get to pick the tv show~” She winked.

Asgore let out an exaggerated sigh. “Very well. We will watch your silly robot program,” he teased.

“You say that as if you had a choice, dearie~ Ahuhuhuhu~”

Asgore just smiled and shook his head as Mettaton posed his way through a top ten list of why everyone should see his upcoming movie. Almost all of them being some variation of the fact that the movie would star him beating up the bad guys. _To give him credit, he does have some very nice legs._

He drifted in and out of paying attention as the show dragged on. Some parts, like a musical number he performed with a singing fish monster and a rather nervous looking ghost, were easier to watch than others, such as a documentation of his trip to a hall of mirrors. Regardless, nothing he saw on the TV screen quite captured his attention as the sound of Muffet’s giggles, the smell of the new shampoo she was using, or the sensation of her gently tugging on his beard when she felt there was something he should especially be paying attention to. If watching trashy television was always going to be this wonderful, he might even start enjoying it more than anime. Well, perhaps not that much, but close.

The next time she tugged his beard, he let himself be pulled and nuzzled noses with her. “Happy birthday, Muffet.”

“You already said that earlier today, dearie~”

“I know. But after this program finishes it will no longer be your birthday. So I want to celebrate it while I still have the chance.” He smiled and nuzzled her once again.

Muffet giggled. “Ahuhuhu~ If I didn’t know better I’d say you were smitten with me~”

“I did not think it was that obvious,” he joked as he hugged her close. At this point, neither of them were paying terribly close attention to the TV. Asgore felt so fortunate to have found someone who appreciated him without idolizing or looking down upon his past as king, let alone someone who had stayed for months, and who was as beautiful as the woman in his arms. He hardly noticed as the credits rolled, and an infomercial began playing.  
  
Muffet yawned and leaned into Asgore’s chest. He thought a little bit about what Papyrus had talked about earlier. It had only been a few months, but what would it be like if they were ever to share a home? It would have to be something with a large backyard. Not only for the purpose of gardening, which was obvious, but also for the sake of entertaining friends. It would likely be very purple, but that would be okay, since it would make Muffet happy. They would have to have a big space for cupcake downstairs, and maybe even Frisk could have their own room? Perhaps he and Toriel could switch weeks, instead of him just having Frisk on the weekends? He’d have to talk it up with her of course, even if she had been becoming quite amiable towards Frisk...

He nuzzled the top of Muffet’s head as the thoughts of what it might be like began to fill his head. The last sounds Asgore heard as he drifted off to sleep were of a sales pitch for cookware, and Muffet’s gentle snoring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnd that's all, folks! When I was planning things out I anticipated the last chapter being the final one, but I ended up liking Asgore/Muffet WAY more than I expected, so thought I'd end things with a nice bit of fluff! Hope at least some of you out there dig this pairing like I've started to. :p I think it's not so much a matter of if, but when I get to some one-shots!
> 
> Thanks so much for everyone who's checked out the fic, left kudos, or commented. Thanks to Toby Fox for making an awesome game I've been a huge dork over. And a big final think you to the real MVP, LumenInFusco, for all the writing help and just being an amazing person. :D


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